The Dark Side of the Hyuuga
by Ladytiger47
Summary: In the ninja world, one shy girl has to bring out her inner self to save the nations from an evil threat.  However, she isn't confident enough to bring out the dark side of her she keeps hidden...so she has a little help.
1. Prologue Reflection

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

_Prologue_

**(Deep voice)** As we step into the world of ninjas and evil organizations after the power of the tailed beast, we come across a hidden village deep in the heart of the fire country. Just finish suffering from an enraged attack from the mysterious "_Pein_", the people of this fair village have rebuilt what was destroyed and gone on with their lives. Well known is this village hidden among the leaves, for it is home to the one and only hyper-active, ramen loving, knuckled headed ninja named Uzumaki Naruto_. _

_(Normal voice)_ However, this story is not about him. _(Record scratching)_

Naruto: Wait a minute. You going to go through that entire introduction making me sound all awesome and stuff then pull a stunt like that at the end. I don't believe it.

Me: Okay, first of all I was just letting the readers know where the story is taking place so they can get a better understanding of the situation and second of all it's kind of obvious the story doesn't revolve around you. *Looks up at title of story*

Naruto: Oh, so the story is about Neji…WAIT A MINUTE. How is he more important than me? That is not fair… (Naruto starts rambling on)

Me: *eye twitching* Naruto… this story is not about Neji but Hinata. It's a Naruhina, Itakur-

Naruto: Wait? WHAT? Are you talking about that slightly weird girl who always faints around me, that Hinata? And you're pairing Kurenai (I guess) and … Itachi (huh) up with each other? But I thought Sasuke killed his brother. And why is he even being paired up with Kurenai. They only met like once and they were fighting so why are they paired up together. Also does that mean it's over between me and Sakura-chan (although there wasn't anything between us) and will Hinata be okay with us being paired up with each other although she just admit that she- (More rambling)

Me: *sound of mind snapping* OK. THAT'S IT. YES I'm talking about Hinata. YES I'm talking about Itachi who is alive in this story. NO he is not paired up with Kurenai but to someone else whose name I'm not going to mention yet. And YES I'll explain in later chapters how he is alive and be paired up with her. So now Naruto either you stop complaining about my story or I will replace YOU with Shino or Kiba and I will do it in a heartbeat. Now go back to Konoha until it's your turn in the story.

Shino: …

Naruto: Okay, okay you win. (Muttering under his breath as he returns to Konoha)

Me: *sighs heavily* Thank you. Now back to the story...

Me: … uh… Damn it, Naruto. You made me forget what I was talking about. *Looks back up at top* Oh yea. 

_(Record restarting)_ No this story is about a girl. (If you read the argument between me and Naruto then you know who.) This female kunoichi is extremely shy, especially around a certain hyper-active, ramen loving, knuckled headed ninja-boy. Having a lot of pressure of proving herself to reclaim the right as heir to a well-known clan and just confessing her love to the said boy above she is trying to prove not only to her father but to herself that she is in fact strong enough to be considered useful. As the hidden leaf village in the fire country comes into view… (Notices Naruto waving, ignores him and continues) we make our way over deep into the forest of a nearly empty training ground except for one lone ninja with dark ink blue hair halfway down her back as she pounds away at a training post strengthening her gentle fist. This story revolves around the shy ninja whose life is about to take an unexpected change into the world of myths. We then zoom in to watch the events unfold around the owner of pale lavender eyes-Hyuuga Hinata.

Naruto: That's horrible. That's corny. I mean it's so corny that Itachi's crows are trying to peck-

Me: *grabs Shino* Okay Shino, you are going to be taking Naruto's spot from now on because he can't learn to-

Naruto: All I'm saying is-

Me: One more word Naruto and I'll put you with Team Gai and make you wear one of his green spandex suits and talk about the power of youth. 

Shino: ...

Naruto: … (Cloud dust headed back to Konoha)

Me: That's what I thought. Now that the distraction is gone, let's start the story.

Me: *walks off to start chapter one*

Shino: … why does everybody always forget about me?


	2. Stand in the rain feeling like a monster

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

_Chapter One: "Stand in the rain feeling like a monster"_

Me: Okay here it is. The part you all been waiting for-

Sasuke: Like anybody actually is waiting for this story.

Me: SASUKE? What are you doing here? You not even in this story yet, you should be with Madara.

Sasuke: I heard my brother is still alive. I've come to see if that was true.

Me: *thinking* (Crap. How did he find out? I got to lie to save story.) No he isn't. Now go back to Madara please.

Sasuke: I know that you're lying. Now tell me where he is so I can- (Suddenly disappears)

Me: *Looks around* HUH? *Talking to myself* Where did he go? Why did he just leave like that? Maybe...somebody actually listened to me? *Grinning*

Sakura: Was Sasuke-kun just here? I thought I just sensed his chakra.

Me: *grin disappeared, thinking* (Should have figured out he was running from her)…uh yea. He just left a few seconds ago.

Sakura: SASUKE-KUN. YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM ME FOREVER. (Runs away)

Me: …what just happened? Why is Sasuke here? And where did Sakura come from? I'm surprised Naruto hasn't returned- …You know what I'm just going to get on with the story before I jinx my luck. 

If one was to enter the clearing near the Hyuuga Manor they will find there Hyuuga Hinata talking to the post as she continued her training of strengthening her gentle fist technique. Breathing heavily from the intense training, she stopped and let the coolness of the raindrops washed over her super-heated skin. Hinata has been training since late afternoon after she finding out her team didn't have a mission today. It was getting late so she decided to wrap up her training however a strange feeling came over as if she was being watched from a distance. Be cautious, Hinata activated her byakugan to check her surroundings for what could be the cause of the eerie feeling. Finding nothing, Hinata was about to de-activate her byakugan when something far away caught her attention. She caught sight of a small body that seemed to be lying on the forest ground unmoving. Concerned that someone was hurt, she swiftly jumps from tree to tree as the gentle sprinkle of raindrops begins to come down harder the deeper she went into the forest. As the rain comes down harder and the sound of it hits the closely knitted leaves of the trees around her, Hinata carefully makes her way to a clearing that is sheltered from the rain for now thanks to the branches that was intertwined with each other. In front of her was a small child that seemed to be curled up in a ball that made it impossible to tell if she was breathing. Not seeing her chakra system, Hinata assume the child was ordinary and de-activating her byakugan. She then jumped down from the now slippery branches and cautiously made her way to the clearing and the unmoving object in front of her. Not knowing if the small body was alive or not, Hinata called out to see if it would respond.

"He-hello?" Hinata ask, waiting for some kind of response. No sound was heard but the pounding of rain against the trees above.

"Ar-are you okay" Hinata asked again, inching her way towards the unmoving body. Suddenly something cold touched Hinata's head and slid down her face. Hinata wiped away the cold liquid to notice it was a rain drop. After another hit her, she looked up, noticing that the rain was coming down faster and harder than when she started training and was dripping through the leaves above the clearing. Within minutes Hinata's clothes were soaked through with rain water. Focusing on the rain, she almost didn't hear the moan come from the young child still on the ground in front of her. Quickly looking down, Hinata noticed that the body belonged to a little girl who started to twitch and appeared to be moving. Concerned, Hinata quickly kneels down next to the child to see if she needs help or is injured. The child slowly moved into a sitting position, her head still facing the ground as if ashamed to look at Hinata.

"Ar-are you hurt?" Hinata asked the concern showing in her voice as she noticed that the child, a girl around 12, had yet to say anything let alone respond to her questions.

"Are you lo-lost li-little one?" Hinata asked looking around for a parent or guardian. The little girl shakes her head.

'_Maybe she's shy'_ Hinata thinks looking down at the top of the child's hair. The child had wavy dark brown hair that stopped at the base of her back. She had on a silver kimono with blue bellflower designs that seem to sway in the wind and rain as if in a hypnotic dance. And her feet were small, bare and covered in dirt and leaves as if she walked barefoot all the time. However, Hinata then noticed something strange about the ground around the girl. Although the trees sheltered them from the harshness of the storm, there was a steady stream of water coming down that seemed to soak them to the bone, well, at least Hinata was soaked. The ground around the little girl was wet from the sudden downpour however, the girl herself was completely dry even her silver kimono was unaffected by the rain blown on them by the raging winds. Eyes wide, Hinata jumps back into a fighting stance, wondering why she didn't notice that earlier. Wishing she had her team with her, Hinata activated her byakugan hoping someone would come soon for she has been gone a long time.

"Who-who are you?" Hinata asked loudly as her voiced was carried away by the wind. Slowly the child began to stand slowly as if time itself slowed down her movements. Finally standing her full height of 4 feet 10 inches, she slowly leveled her head with Hinata's neck as her hair blew into her face covering it from view.

"Where di-did you come from?" Hinata stuttered, not because she was nervous, but from the cold air around her.

"Ar-are you a-a-a Ameonna?" Hinata asked, freezing from the chilling wind and rain that made her already wet clothes feel like she was taking a bath in ice water. (A/N: Ameonna is a female spirit shown as a woman standing in the rain and licking her hand).

"No, Hinata-san, I'm not" a voice said that seem to come from all around her except from the child in front of her.

"Then wha-what ar-are yo-yo-you?" Hinata asked fear creeping into her voice as she tried to tell her body to back away but it wouldn't respond to her silent pleas.

"My name is Josei Tora or JT for short and I've come to help you, you see because I'm a- *thunder rumbling*" the voiced said as the "child" moves her hair out of her face and looks straight into Hinata's eyes.

Hinata gasps as she registered what she heard and saw. First, when the thunder drowned out her words, she still heard her perfectly in her mind, so she had some kind of psychic abilities. Second, the child said that she was a hanyo (half demon) with unique abilities. The girl she thought was a "child" was actually some kind of half-demon creature and it had powers beyond Hinata's knowledge, not that she had much except what she saw right in front of her. Third, the child had grown because earlier she only came up to Hinata's neck but now she was eye to eye with Hinata which made it plain that the child in front of her was not human. However, what surprised her the most was that the "demon" in front of her had the most unusual looking eyes on a human…er…half-demon. Her irises were yellow with black curved diamond shape pupils that were encased inside larger green curved diamond shape lens that seem to glow in the darkening sky. Hinata was entranced with those weird misshaped eyes that seem to look straight through her right to her very soul. As the rain kept coming down and the wind blew around them, Hinata noticed the leaves blow pass the demon's head where she faintly noticed the outline of two triangular shapes sprouting from the top of JT's hair.

_'Is she a cat demon?'_ Hinata thinks as she imagines a long twitchy tail to accompany the cat ears on the person in front of her.

"Achoo" Hinata sneezed as she forgot about how cold and wet her clothes were while she was frozen in fear from the cat-demon in front of her.

"Sorry, I forgot you humans don't have the ability to block out the weather like I can." JT says as she looks up at the trees above and then Hinata feels the rain suddenly stop dripping on her and a warm sensation wash over her to chase away the chill. Her body was warm, but her clothes were still wet.

"There is that better?" JT ask making eye contact once again with Hinata. "Yes, thank you" Hinata says relaxing a little but still on edge.

"You've been hiding yourself, Hinata." the cat demon spoke that still the voice of a gentle child in a teenage body. A gentle child who had cat body parts (ears and eyes), the ability to control the weather, and change her age. Her eyes were still locked with Hinata's whose still showed fear as JT's eyes had a faint hint of curiosity and excitement.

"I lured you here to help you realize…the _other_ side of you. The '_you_' you keep hidden from the world." Hinata gasped as the rustling of feathers was heard and a pair of wings appeared from the back of the neko.

Hinata, who finally snapped out of her frozen state, jumps back and grabs a kunai to defend herself for she didn't know if her gentle fist technique could be used on cat-monsters and to also wound her enough to hopefully escape whatever trap she stepped in. Watching as JT stretched her wings she noticed, despite being scared for her life, that she had a beautiful set of wings. Both wings was a mixture of blue and silver that started light at the tips and gradually grew darker to the base of the wings attached to her back. The color seemed to match her kimono that didn't tear when they appeared so Hinata assumed it was a genjutsu.

"I've come to help you... _all_ of you." JT states as she points her index finger at Hinata as it began to glow. Suddenly Hinata's body slowly became numb as the kunai fell out of her hand and the yellow light seemed to spread all over Hinata, immobilizing her in place. Seeming please, JT ears suddenly twitched and she grins looking like 'the cat that caught the canary'. Making a come-here gesture, JT watched as Hinata involuntarily came closer till they were about a foot apart. JT could see the tears in Hinata's eyes and could smell the fear (remember she is a cat-demon so she has acute senses) on her as Hinata waited to see what the demon was going to do to her. The light slowly retracted from around Hinata and she felt her body tingling from the aftermath of the glow.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Hinata." JT responded, a small smile on her face. Hinata couldn't speak pass the lump that was in her throat from fear, so JT just kept talking. Around them the storm lighten up a bit, the lightning flashing less and the thunder sounding fainter but the rain still kept coming down.

"You are in battle within yourself, you wish to be free," JT says her voice quiet but clear against the pouring of the rain. Thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance that seemed to piece Hinata's eardrums for how loud it was even though it was far away. Gasping, closing her eyes and clutching her ears, she missed the look that the neko sent into the forest as if staring at something that was happening.

"You need the help of both courage and stealth, their names are Naruto and –"

A sudden thunder rumble, loud enough to shake the earth itself, drowned out whatever JT was going to say.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata squeaked out, eyes opening in fear as she feared the hanyo would do something with her beloved. However, Hinata didn't have to worry about that as the she was once again surrounding by light, this time blue, and felt a sharp pain that seem to increase as the light spread. The pain soon came intense, so intense that Hinata let out a scream and fell to her knees as she felt as if she was being torn apart from the inside out. Surprised, the hanyo looked around in fear as Hinata kept screaming, wondering why she was making such a sound.

_'It's supposed to be painless!' _JT was thinking as she looked among the trees as if searching for somebody. By doing so she missed when the light took on a form and suddenly disappear as it ran passed her. After the light left, Hinata's screams ceased and the only thing she could hear was the rain hitting the leaves of the forest around her. Hinata then begin to see double of everything as she felt the pain disappear with the light and the last thing she could saw as she grew weaker was a shadow and a glowing purple aura out of the corner of her eye before she passed out and was lowered gently to the forest floor. Heavy breathing could be heard as the rain finally let up and the only other sound heard was the dripping of water drops from leaf to leaf as JT looked down at what she had down. Hearing a slight rustling and hurried footsteps, she faintly acknowledges the big bulky man carrying his fallen comrade as he swiftly ran through the forest back to their shelter.

_'Whew. That took more energy than I thought'_ JT thought as she reverted back to her child-like state, sitting down on the forest floor. Lightly touching the ink blue hair in front of her, she heard a groan come from the body before it was silent once more.

"Rest, for you will have a long journey ahead of you" JT says gently combing the leaves and twigs out of the unconscious body in front of her. Sighing, she stood up and stretched very much in the manner of a cat after a long nap.

_'Oh a nap sounds purr-fect'_ the demon thinks as the wings on her back suddenly disappeared as she didn't need to keep up the appearance anymore.

"The search has begun" a male voiced say from above as JT yawned loudly scratching the ears on her head.

"Okay, I'm through here. And I see you did your part too. I hope everything goes according to plan" JT says climbing up a tree as she grew smaller and smaller.

"It better or we both in deep trouble for what we did. You know Hyou doesn't like when we try and fix things in this world by ourselves. Especially when it hurt other creatures" the voiced said as a gray cat with black stripes running along its back, joined him on the branch he was perched on looking at the show that just took placed.

"I know, but maybe if we show we can be helpful she will let us stay" JT says with her unusual yellow eyes glittering in the night sky.

"We would make a great team for her, don't you think."

"…" was the only response to the cheerful cat's question.

As the full moon started rising higher in the sky, moonlight shined its way to the opening where two bodies were lying on the slightly damp ground on a bed of leaves to cushion them in their sleep. All was silent except for the occasional hoot of a night howl, the fluttering and screeching of bats and the two names moaned from the sleeping pair as if having vivid dreams of said names.

"_Naruto-kun"_ said a shy and gentle voice before growing silent again.

"_Itachi-san"_ the other voice spoke with a sexy smirk on her face as she bundled herself deeper in the leaves. The pair of them slept soundly not knowing what awaited them in the darkening of the night.

"_**HINATA!**_**"** someone screamed as the sound could be heard throughout the forest. The rain had stopped and night has fallen. The only sounds that can be heard are the dripping of remaining raindrops on leaves, the occasional hooting of an owl, the flapping of bat wings...an one really loud cry of "Hinata" from one hyper-active blonde named Uzumaki Naruto.

"Shut up, Naruto. You're giving me a headache with your continuous yelling. Besides I need to concentrate or I'll miss something important." Neji states angry, byakugan activated as to help find a clue to Hinata's sudden disappearance.

"Grr, this would be so much easier if it hadn't rained earlier." Kiba growls as he and Akamaru sniffs around trying to pick up even the tiniest whiff of Hinata's scent.

"…we can't blame nature for doing its job." Shino calmly said as he sends his bugs ahead to see if they can find something that will lead them in the right direction. Naruto, Kiba, Neji, and Shino were made up of a search party when Hinata failed to turn up for dinner as she wasn't one to stay out after curfew.

_(Flashback)_

When Hinata didn't come home for dinner, Neji begin to worry so he went around town looking for her. He finally met Kiba and Shino at _Ichiraku Ramen_ and asked if they have seen Hinata lately?

"She was still practicing when we left at 3" Kiba said finishing the rest of his ramen.

"Why is something wrong?" Shino asked sensing the stress in Neji's question.

"She hasn't returned for dinner and I can't find her" Neji explains getting slightly worried for his cousin.

"Maybe she's on a diet" Kiba said ordering another bowl of ramen for himself.

"No she's not and if she was she would just ask to be excused and go to her room" Neji answered sitting down on a stool next to Shino.

"Maybe she's stalking Naruto again" Kiba jokingly says as he imagined her behind a tree or hiding in an alley. No sooner after the words left his mouth, they spotted Naruto running towards them with a giant grin on his face and something behind his back.

"Hey guys" Naruto asked still with a big grin on his face.

"What are you so happy about, Naruto? You manage to finally convince Sakura to go on a date with you?" Kiba asked, chuckling at his own joke.

"No dog-boy I given up on Sakura" Naruto responded which earned him looks of shock from hearing the news.

"I finally figured out that I didn't really love Sakura the way I thought I did" Naruto answering the unvoiced questions they were asking.

"In fact, I owe it to someone special who finally opened up my eyes and showed me the truth. The truth that someone does care about me…" Naruto said causing Neji to smile inwardly.

'_So you finally figured it out, huh Naruto?'_ Neji states in his mind as he watches Naruto scratch his head like he usually does when he's nervous.

"So, who is the lucky girl?" Kiba kids knowing who it was before Naruto told them.

"It's…Hinata. Can you believe that she liked me all this time?" Kiba, Shino, and Neji just shook their heads at the dense blond.

"In fact, right before she battled Pein for me-" the trio suddenly focuses on Naruto's words "-she was talking about how she was selfish and how she gave up before even trying and how I help her to choose the right path."

Shino, Kiba, and Neji sat quietly thinking at how much Hinata has changed since the chuunin exams.

"She mentioned how she wanted to walk along side me-" Neji, Kiba, and Shino exchanges looks "-and how I saved her and how she wasn't afraid to die protecting me" Naruto said with a strange look in his eye. All three are thinking the same thing:

'_What is that weird look in Naruto's eyes?'_

Still with that look, Naruto continues by saying, "-but the most shocking part was the reason why she would die protecting me."

Naruto missed the expressions on the other three boys' faces as he was caught up in his thoughts reliving that moment over again. They all seemed withdrawn as they imagined what Hinata had said to Naruto before battling Pein:

'_Has Hinata finally told Naruto…?'_ (Shino's thoughts)

'_There is no way shy Hinata said…'_ (Kiba's thoughts)

'_Did Hinata-sama actually say the words?'_ (Neji's thoughts)

"She told she would die protecting me…because…she loves me."

After those last three words left his mouth, there was a deafening silence where the only sounds were the clinking of chopsticks meeting bowls of ramen from around them.

"She…confessed to you…Naruto?" Neji asked not quite sure he heard right the first time.

"Y-yea" Naruto stuttered out not quite sure how to react to the look of shock on Neji's face.

"And what did you say, Naruto?" Shino asked calmly staring at Naruto through his dark shades.

"Well I haven't said anything yet beca-" Naruto starts but Kiba.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING? THE GIRL CONFESSES HER LOVE TO YOU AND YOU DON'T RESPOND?" Kiba shouts, earning the attention of everybody in the restaurant.

"Kiba you're too loud-" Shino starts but is interrupted by Naruto who angrily shouted back.

"I DIDN'T GET CHANCE TO TALK TO HER AFTER THE INVASION-"

"Naruto, now you are being too loud" Neji stated but was ignored by Naruto as he kept shouting.

"BUT I WAS GOING TO ASK HER TO BE MY GIRLFRIEND AND GIVE HER THIS GIFT BECAUSE I LOVE HER TOO."

Naruto pulls his arm from behind his back and shows everybody a rectangular box covered in chibi foxes. Once again, everything was quiet where the only noise heard was the sound of distant thunder. Then the silence was broken by a soft, hardy laugh coming from Teuchi-sama who then began to congratulate Naruto on finding love as everybody goes back to eating. Blushing, Naruto apologizes to Ayame and her father for yelling in the first place but they say that it is okay as long as Naruto brings the _"lucky young lady" _to meet them some time. Naruto, wearing his famous grin and scratching his head, says he will as he, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, and Neji leave _Ichiraku Ramen_ and start walking through town.

"…Sorry about that Naruto. I didn't mean to draw that much attention to you." Kiba said, rubbing Akamaru behind his ear looking straight ahead.

"It's okay Kiba you were just looking out for Hinata that's all. Hey Neji, have you seen Hinata, I wanted to give her the present." Naruto asked, giving the box in his hand a little shake. The four stopped in the middle of the street which was empty due to the sound of nearby thunder making everybody head home.

"…No. We thought she was hanging around you or something." Neji replied concerned once again making its way into his voice.

"When was the last time anybody saw her?" Naruto asked looking at the group in front of him.

"Last we saw her she was training at the grounds near the Hyuuga Manor. She said she wanted to stay a little longer and that we could go ahead and leave without her" Kiba said as Akamaru whined as he could hear the fear in Kiba's words as if he had caused Hinata to disappear. Just then a giant rumble of thunder sounded, spooking Naruto and the others, and a gentle rain begin as the four ran for shelter in the shape of the Academy. Quickly running in, they all stopped to catch their breath except Naruto who kept running all the way to the Hokage's office to visit Tsunade.

"Baachan, we need help right now" Naruto yelled as he rushed into Tsunade's office uninvited as usual.

"Brat, what have I told you about calling me that?" Tsunade responsed angrily after being woken up by Naruto's loud voice.

"But it's an emergency." Naruto continued, ignoring Tsunade's angry glare at him.

"Hinata-sama is missing and nobody has seen her since this late afternoon." Neji replied from the door as they finally made it to the top of the tower. Those words got Tsunade's attention as she looked at the four wet and dripping faces that all had looks of concerned, Naruto showing the most. His eyes have lost some of its color and his hair showed less life as if the weight of Hinata's absence was slowly crushing him. Putting on a serious look, Tsunade asked where was the last place anybody seen Hinata. Then Kiba retold Tsunade what he had told Naruto just minutes earlier.

"Hmm" Tsunade said as she stood up and looked out on a rained-on Konoha that seemed dark and gloomy like the atmosphere in her office.

"Naruto, Kiba, Shino, and Neji, I want you to search the training ground and outward to see if you can find anything that will help us with Hinata's sudden disappearance" Tsunade ordered sitting back down and filling out more paperwork.

"As of right now, however, you are to stay in the tower until the rain lets up enough for you to search more efficiently."

"But if Hinata's hurt-" Naruto started, but Tsunade quickly intervened with "we can't help her if you or any of the other members become hurt looking in the rain, right? So you'll have to be patient and wait it out." Naruto, who usually had a comeback to everything, surprised Tsunade and the rest of the gang by nodding his head and sitting down in a corner looking outside as the rain came pouring down harder. Flinching slightly every time the thunder rumbled or the lightning flashed he kept staring out the window with only one thing on his mind—the safe return of the shy lavender-eyed goddess he fell in love with.

'_I may have failed several times bringing back Sasuke, but I will NOT fail to bring you back Hinata,'_ is what was going through Naruto's mind as he waited for the rain to let up so he can search for the one he love.

_(End of flashback)_

"Naruto slow down. We need to stick together or we could set off a trap" Kiba yelled as he and Akamaru try to catch up with the eager blond.

"I don't care…we got to find Hinata." Naruto growled, determination shown in his voice, as he continued to call out Hinata's name. Naruto's growl becoming more menacing as he imagined Hinata hurt and alone in the woods which urged him to look harder for the blushing beauty.

"_Kage Bunshin No Jutsu"_ Naruto said making hand seals as 9 other Naruto appeared around the original one.

"Split up and find Hinata." the original Naruto told his clones and they went into 9 different directions trying to find the shy Hyuuga. Inside Naruto was thinking about how just the other day, after thinking about Hinata's confession, he went straight to a jewelry store and bought her a heart-shaped necklace with two foxes sitting side by side with their tails intertwined looking up at a full moon. With the gift wrapped neatly and safely in his bag, Naruto was more determined than ever to find Hinata and make somebody pay if she was harmed in anyway.

"She can't be hurt. She just can't be…" Naruto growls to himself as the thought of her hurt makes his blood boil and his anger increase.

**"That's right, brat. Go and find the one you supposedly "love" so you can "protect" her and then DESTROY all those who get in your way"** Kyuubi stated evilly from his prison as he felt the fear, anger, and the will to protect build up inside Naruto. **"I'll even lend you my chakra, so you can sense things even better than that Kiba-mutt and the Hyuuga brat"** Kyuubi laughed as he gave Naruto large amounts of chakra wanting to see him lose control of himself.

"I'll kill anyone who harms her" snarls become more animalistic as his pupils begin to slit and whiskers begin to darken. Naruto suddenly took off leaving the others behind. Shouts of "_Naruto, slow down_" could be heard as he sped through the treetops instinct telling him where to go.

"What has gotten into Naruto?" Kiba asked as he, Akamaru, Neji, and Shino follow swiftly trying to catch up with the energetic blonde.

'_And what was that strange chakra? I've seen it before...at the chuunin exams' _Neji thought, wondering what kind of secret Naruto was hiding.

"He must be on to something because my bugs say that found something in a clearing not far from here." Shino states as the insects returning under his coat.

"We must hurry or we'll lose hi-STOP!" Neji yelled as he sent all his chakra to his feet stopping him completely. Shino and Akamaru followed suit but Kiba kept on going.

"What you sa-WHAM!" Kiba didn't hear Neji's warning in time as he slammed face first into…a solid wall of air.

"Gaah" came out of Kiba throat as he slides down the frozen wall of air that suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Ow. What did I hit?" Kiba asked as he rubbed his nose where it connected with the solid air in front of him.

"It seems to be some kind of force field made up of air and chakra" Neji responded, looking at the chakra-infused air in front of them.

"The wall is pretty solid, so getting pass it will be difficult." Neji stated his eyes returning to normal.

"We have to get through. Naruto and Hinata may be in trouble. Come on, Akamaru." Kiba yelled as Akamaru transformed into a Kiba clone and together they performed Fang over Fang to try and make a break in the shield. Naruto comes to a stop because he felt he reached his destination. Making another hand seal, he dismissed all his other shadow clones as he stared through slit eyes taking in his surroundings. Then something caught his eye, something that made his blood boil and the Kyuubi's chakra start forming the first tail.

"Hinata!" Naruto cries out as he jumps down from the tree and runs out into the middle of the clearing. There on the ground are two bodies, covered by literally a blanket of leaves held together with twine. One of the "blankets" however didn't hide the light gray sleeve of Hinata's jacket which Naruto was now holding as he push the blanket of leaves off and gently lifted the body to see Hinata laying on a bed of leaves to cushion her while she slept. Notice Hinata flinching away from the chakra, he ordered the chakra back from his upper body so he could move some hair from in front of her face. He carefully turns her over to check for injuries. Her face was pale with few scratches around her face, but she was slowly breathing as in deep slumber. Naruto gently lowers her back down and places his jacket over her because hers was soaking wet. The tail gone but still cloaked from the waist down, Naruto starts looking around making sure no one was watching them. He finally remembers the other blanket of leaves and runs over to seriously hurt or kill anyone who put Hinata in this situation.

"This is pointless" Neji says as Kiba once again tried to break through the barrier only to be once again thrown back.

"Grr, I don't see you coming up with any good ideas, girly boy" Kiba growls back, giving the frowning Hyuuga a doggy grin.

"What was that dog-breath?" Neji said giving him the Hyuuga glare as Kiba laughed at his own joke.

"…The barrier has lifted" Shino stated calmly as he jumps ahead ignoring the two glaring hotheads.

"Come on, we still got to find Hinata and Naruto" Neji said quickly catching up with Shino and leaving Kiba and Akamaru behind.

"Hey, wait for me" Kiba yelled jumping on Akamaru's back and catching up with the others. With newfound anger, Naruto growls as he was once again cloaked with the Kyuubi's chakra with one tail formed and the second one starting to show. Kyuubi, laughing at how fast Naruto was losing him mind, he kept provoking to make him even angrier.

'_**Feel the blood-lust deep inside you brat and let it out. You can't hide the monster you are becoming' **_Kyuubi thought as he kept up the taunts.

"**Kill them brat, think about how they took your 'precious Hinata-chan' and brought her all the way out here. They could have harmed her or raped her or stole her eyes. They would use her to try and get you. Make sure they pay for what they put you through"** Kyuubi urged Naruto as the third tail began to from and Naruto started to lose himself in blood-lust.

"I will kill _anyone_ who hurts Hinata-chan" Naruto roars as the force from the chakra blows away the covering of the other body. He then ran and was about to attack the other body when he turned it over and stopped.

"How is that possible?"

Naruto snapped out of his rage and the Kyuubi chakra disappeared as he carefully noticed who he was about to kill. Even the Kyuubi was quiet from shock as noticed the same thing Naruto did. Backing up quickly, he trips over Hinata's body as he keeps backing up until he hit a tree. Just then Neji, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru show up. All three instantly notice Naruto, eyes wide and shaking and go over to see what's wrong with him.

"Did you find Hinata?" Neji asked as he watched the usually hyperactive boy quiet with a look on his face Neji identified as…fear. No answer. All he did was point behind them as he continued to shake. Shino and Neji got up and went to inspect what made Naruto, of all people shake in fear like that.

"Hey you okay Naruto?" Kiba asked waving his hand in front of the blond boy's face but still not getting a response. Naruto finally stopped shaking and had a far-away look on his face.

'_Kyuubi, can you explain to me what I just saw?'_ Naruto ask in his mind.

"**How in the hell should I know. In all my years of experience I have never encountered something like this before, Brat"** Kyuubi response also trying to figure out what he had seen in Naruto's mind.

'_Weird, this isn't like Naruto'_ Kiba thought as he scratched behind Akamaru's ear mindlessly. However he was brought out of his thoughts by Shino and Neji's gasp and muttering. Kiba stands up, after giving Naruto a worrying look, and heads over to his other team mate.

"What are you two looking a-" Kiba starts until he looks down and notices what made Naruto freak out like he did. A sudden rustling sound drew their attention back to Naruto, who finally snapped out of his shock. Standing up, rather clumsy, he slowly made his way to the rest of the group. When he reached them, there was sounds of shifting and movement as the four (five including Akamaru) looked down and jumped back quickly to face what was happening right in front of them.

"No way is this happening." Kiba says as Akamaru begin to whine for he could sense Kiba's discomfort with the situation. Hinata and the other person begin to move as they stretched, eyes closed, still laying down until they began to move into a sitting position. Hinata and the other person sat Indian-style as they continued to yawn and scratch their long hair. Both of them kept their heads down while Hinata just sat looking at the ground, the other person reached behind her back, stretching her arms as if they gone numb.

"It can't be…" Neji cried wide-eyed in shock as he activated his byakugan as stared at the two people in front of him. "But it is somehow. Their chakra is slightly different, but it's the still the same signature. So it has to be…" Neji quickly said, words stammering in fear as he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Hi-Hinata?" Naruto ask walking up to the bodies, staring and trying to figure out what the weird feeling he was having as he stared at Hinata, who was still looking down at the forest floor. However, after Naruto called Hinata's name, both bodies looked up and Naruto, Kiba, Akamaru, Neji, and Shino all stared down into a pair of similar faces with pale lavender eyes, one of shock and joy, the other frowning and looking bored. Both standing up, Hinata wrapped in Naruto's jacket, and getting their balance as they stared at the four boys who had confused looks on their faces. Hinata, who legs gave out from exhaustion and chakra depletion, started to fall only to be caught by Naruto and carried bridal style as she snuggled closer to his warm body heat.

"Naruto-kun, can you ta-take me home n-now please?" Hinata asked suddenly feeling weak as she slipped into subconscious state.

"Yea, let's go back the ground is cold and wet here" the other Hinata stated as she took her jacket off, tied it around her waist, and set off for Konoha with Kiba, Neji, and Shino right on her tail. Naruto gently covered her with his jacket again, and slowly followed the others unaware of how his life was about to change.

"Yes, it seems everything is going according to plan" a voice said from the top of the tree tops as JT jumped down onto a thicker branch where she could sit down and stretch her legs in front of her.

"Soon we can prove to Hyou that we deserve to stay." JT says happily ears perked up, wings flapping, and tail slightly curled.

"Uh huh…you know when Hyou finds out what you set in motion, she is going to have kittens over what you did" a different voice said as a large shadow suddenly fell on JT and shifted as a male teen sat on a thick branch parallel to JT's that supported his weight.

"Really, Maru?" JT ask yellow eyes shining brightly in the light of moon. "I love kittens because they're so soft, cute, playful, and easier to train" she said playfully messing with her headband that was wrapped around her arm.

"…that's not what I meant, but whatever" Maru sighed as he jumped down into the clearing staring up at his friend, waiting for her to join him. She jumped down to join her white-haired friend as the moonlight shined brightly making everything seem alive.

"Anyway, let's head back so I can warm up because the rain you brought was freezing cold" Maru said as he looked at JT with his one eye as the other was covered by his headband.

"Fine, let's go." JT pout jumping down, being slowed by her wings which she made disappear, and followed Maru as they headed into the opposite direction of the forest, both of them seeming to give off a low eerie light.

"Hey JT, why did you bring your wings out anyway? There was no point" Maru asked looking over at JT.

"I thought it would add to the mysterious feel in the air" JT answered her sharp canine fangs showing.

"Sorry I asked" Maru muttered as they walked in silence until Maru remembered the other thing he wanted to ask her. "JT, when did you learn to sew up leaves and make those blankets like that?" Maru asked curiosity heard in his voice. JT than got a sad smile on her face.

"My mom…she was really good at sewing things…in short periods of time" JT said fussing with the silver kimono she was wearing. JT then looked at Maru, "I actually cheated though for I used the air from my wings to collect the leaves and used my swift jutsu to make them that quickly."

"Oh…ok." Maru said growing quiet again and feeling bad for bringing up a sore topic. _'I hope she doesn't get depressed at the old memories'_ Maru thought looking at JT. Maru who was deep in thought, missed the small smirk on JT's face.

"Hey, Maru…have I ever told you that you look like Kakashi with your headband like that? All you missing are a ninja mask, orange book, and making excuses for being late."

JT then just laughed at the growl that came from behind her as she and Maru disappear, going into the depths of the deep forest.


	3. Filler: Sweet Death, Beautiful Reality

Good...Bad...Hyuuga

_Filler Chapter- "Sweet Death, Beautiful Reality"_

Me: Okay, this chapter actually between one and two and it goes back to when Hinata was in the clearing. It's just shown from somebody else's point of view and those somebody's are…Itachi and Kisame.

Kisame: Heh, it's about time we were recognized in this story.

Itachi: …Exactly who did you pair me up with in this story?

Me: I can't tell you but I will let you know that this isn't an ordinary character because there is a twist on which the character is.

Itachi: Ok, so why am I one of the main pairings in your story?

Me: Because you, Naruto and Hinata are just a few of my favorite characters.

Itachi: …ok. Better than being paired up with Kisame…or my brother.

Kisame: Yea that true. Speaking of brothers, where is yours at? Not that I care I just want watch him try and defeat you…again. 

Me: Probably still running from Sakura or one of his many other fan girls. *evil chuckle*

Itachi: Humph. My brother is still too weak. I wonder if he can even sense me standing right here.

Sasuke: ITACHI!

Me: *muttering* speak of the Uchiha…

Itachi: what foolish brother? Have you come to try and kill me again?

Sasuke: …(hugs Itachi and crying) …No. I missed you nii-chan. Now I know the truth about what you did and why you did it and 

I'm…sorry. 

Kisame: O_O

Me: o_O

Itachi: (in shock)

Me: …uh. I'm going to start the chapter while my brain tries to figure out what just happened. *walks off scratching head*

All was quiet in the forest except the snapping of twigs under swift moving feet owned by two mysterious figures. Making their way quickly through the forest the figures quickly went to find their shelter from the upcoming storm. Up ahead, the spotted the familiar markings they made that led them to a cave hidden from view by the tree's shadows. Darting quickly inside, the two former partners were taking off their cloaks, one of them too big for the wearer, and setting them on rocks to let dry from the sudden rainstorm.

Picking up some firewood, the blue skinned shark man threw it on the fire pit where his partner, a blacked haired male with onyx colored eyes that seem to stare into your soul made some quick hand seals and set the wood on fire. Kisame set his sword down against the cave wall as Itachi tended the fire. Itachi and Kisame then sat on the rocks waiting for the storm to pass so Kisame could report back to Akatuski about his findings. The silence in the cave was broken by Kisame telling Itachi about Pein's sudden change of heart and how almost all of Akatuski are gone. He then starts talking about how the battle between the two brothers went as Zetsu told it.

"..." Itachi was only half listening, as he stared into the fire, reliving the last few minutes of his life. Knowing that his brother still wasn't strong enough, he gave up all the powers of his sharingan to his brother, Sasuke, so he wouldn't suffer the same fate as Itachi who had been going blind. He also wanted to protect his brother from Madara, who he guessed, was going to tell his brother the truth about why he murdered his family. Sighing, Itachi started staring outside as the rain was coming down, completely ignoring Kisame when he asked how he escaped alive.

_'How did i get alive?' _Itachi thought as the last thing he remembered was the look on his brother's face as he poked him one last time, before falling into the darkness of death. He then felt as if he was floating, not really heading nowhere, just floating as if, waiting for something to happen. Then he felt his soul become heavier as he "fell" back down and felt a strange sensation as he regained senses he lost when he was floating. His body ached all over and he had to force himself to breathe again. Eyelids heavy like sand bags, he slowly opened them up to find himself in the very same cave they rested now.

_*Flashback*_

_'Am I...dead?'_ Itachi thinks as he tries to move his body into a sitting position. With much difficulty, he finally manages to succeed and takes in his surroundings. He notice that he was deep in a cave, lying on a futon with a thick blanket covering him and a fire going, bringing warmth to his cold body. Realizing he wasn't dead, he slowly crawled, for he wasn't sure his legs supported him yet, over to the fire to quickly warm his body up. Looking some more, he noticed a medium-sized backpack with a note attached, placed next to the rock he was currently laying against. Picking up the note, he hoped it shed some light on his current reawakening.

_'Since you're reading this, I know that you're fully awake and wondering what is happening. I can't tell you right not but you will be able to find out soon. Now I'm not going to tell you who I am yet, but we will meet in the future. Right now, i want you to lay low and keep out of sight so you can recover effectively. Inside the bag is enough food, clothes, supplies to last you a good two weeks. In one week, you'll be visited by an old friend who will be able to update you on what's happening but for now you need to gather your strength. Also take the medicine that is provided until their all gone and when you take the last pill, you're sickness will be extremely mild, however you must take one every day. It won't be cured yet, but soon you will be able to fulfill your purpose and be granted a second chance at living the life you wanted. Until we meet. Y.H. _

_P.S. Burn the note when you're done reading it._

After reading the letter, Itachi had more questions than answers but knowing there was no point in thinking about them since no one was around right now could answer them, he shrugged them away. He threw the note into the fire where it burned a bright blue then returned back to the red-orange flames before. Itachi then grabbed the backpack that was strangely light although it was supposed to hold two weeks of supplies and should weight a ton in his weaken state, and brought it over to his lap. Opening it up, he noticed that the backpack was unique for compared to its size it was actually bigger on the inside. Everything was in order with weapons, clothes, food, and military pills for emergencies only. Noting the bottle that said medicine, he opened it and tried to figure out what kind of medicine it was. It was a small round pill very much like the military pills it was placed next to, he took one out and examined it closely. Trying to activate his sharingan he realized he couldn't, not even the first stage. Cursing, he glared at the pill as if it would tell him what it was.

"Since I can't activate my sharingan anymore and I can't figure out what kind of pills these are, should I take them?" Itachi was asking himself out loud not expecting a response. After a few minutes of hard thinking, he decides to just go ahead and take one.

_'Don't really have any other choice'_ is going through his mind as he puts the bottle with the medicine back in the bag and takes out a bottle of water to take the medicine. After taking it, he looks through the bag for clothing and food. Finding both, he clumsily puts on the clothes and eats the onigirl given while staring at the fire. Feeling drained again, he decides to go back to sleep, not bothering to put the fire out. This carried on for the next 6 days as he got up, ate, tried moving to strengthen his muscles, practice his jutsus, check his surroundings, ate again, and went to sleep. After the first 3 days, he had gained almost all his strength back and was like before, except he couldn't use the sharingan. By the end of the week, he regained all his strength, his chakra reserves were high, higher than before, and he felt healthier than he had in a long time. Except for the occasional cough he felt like he did when he was younger, which was good because he was running low on supplies and needed to get some more. Thankfully at the bottom of the bag was a black wallet with a raven in flight embedded on the side. When he opened it up, it was filled to the max with money and had a new fake ID with the name '_Karasu, Yoru'_ that signified he was a Konoha ninja.

_'This is enough money to keep me supplied for a couple of months.'_ Itachi thought, conforming that the money in the wallet was real.

'_Now how am I going to sneak into Konoha without being caught?'_ is what he was thinking since he didn't want to be caught by the ANBU or seen by any of the instructors in case they recognized him. Looking again at the backpack, he noticed that it was closed when a few minutes ago, it was open. Confused, he opened the bag again to find a black Konoha forehead protector, black shirt with a red raven on the back, and black pants with ravens on the weapon pockets. Also there was a circular necklace charm with a three weasels holding sickles on one side, a black raven flying to a moon on the other side, and a note attached that wasn't there before.

_'Wear these clothes when you decide to visit Konoha for food and supplies. The clothes will hide your scent and chakra signature as long as you don't use a lot of it. Also the necklace will come in handy for fight or flight situations. To activate it, wipe some of your blood on either or both sides of the charm. The weasels represents fight and will summon three kamitachi to help attack and defend you from harm. The raven in flight is used for quick getaways in tight situations. A black raven will be summoned, big enough to carry you and anybody else who you choose to take to safety while shedding feathers to create an illusion of you still being there. The raven will then take you back to the cave. Make sure you keep the charm on and try not to use large amounts of chakra. Also make sure to stock up plenty because they're won't be a lot of stores open after the next week. Ganbatte_'

Wondering about the mysterious bag, Itachi quickly put on the new clothes, forehead protector, and the charm around his neck like the note told him too. After burning the note, he put out the fire, grabbed the mysterious bag, placed the weapons and wallet in his pockets, and made his way to Konoha which was unaware of the invasion of Pein. After stocking up on food and weapons, he enjoyed some dangos and tea at the local dango shop. Looking around, he noticed a familiar face he hasn't seen since he left to battle his brother one last time. _'I'm guessing that he's my visitor.'_ Itachi thought as he continued eating his dango while watching his former partner, Kisame, finding out information about the town's biju. Watching as Kisame left, he waited a few minutes before he too got up and followed after him. Putting on a henge, he quickly caught up with Kisame and pretended to be greatly fatigue.

"Please young man, can you help me with my supplies. I live in a nearby cave and I don't believe I can carry it all by myself." Itachi said pretending to be an elder man.

"Humph…fine." Kisame said grabbing the supplies and following Itachi back to the caves. Once there, Kisame placed the supplies down and was about to leave.

"Could you please bring me back some firewood for it seems I'm low on some?" Itachi asked, keeping up the elderly man act. Grumbling, Kisame went out and came back a few minutes' later hands full of firewood. "Here you go, now I got to get going." Kisame said turning to leave the cave.

"… I never thought you were one to help elderly people, Kisame." Itachi said going over to the firewood and picking some up. Quickly turning, Kisame grabbed Samehada off his back and face Itachi.

"How do you know my name?" Kisame asked staring at the silhouette next to the campfire that was burning earlier.

"You seriously don't recognize me?" Itachi had taken off his henge and stared at his former partner, who he noticed was trying to see him in the dark. "This should jog your memory" Itachi said making some quick hand seals and looking towards the fire. "_Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu_" then Itachi set the wood on the ground on fire by using a small flame to ignite it. The last sound heard was Kisame dropping his sword and whispering one word in the echoing cave,

"Itachi?"

_*End of Flashback*_

That's when Kisame realized that the person was Itachi and asked him how he was alive and all that happened to him since then. After Itachi explained all the events Kisame left, promising Itachi he wouldn't tell the rest about his survival and to also keep him updated on all that has happened. After he left, the rest of the week was uneventful except Itachi spying on someone training, so he stayed in town and learned of the news and rumors of an invasion that was going to take place. He decided that he would help anyway he could during the invasion since he felt it was his duty. The invasion was yesterday, as Itachi help rebuild Konoha back up from the ground.

'_All the work the Senju clan did to build Konoha…reduce to nothing'_ Itachi thought, looking from the fire to the cave entrance and the strange sudden downpour unknown to Konoha.

"I thought Konoha didn't get a lot of rain, Itachi?" Kisame asked looking outside at the light drizzle of rain.

"It doesn't" Itachi responded now suspicious because he heard nothing about a storm coming. '_Hm, what's that?'_ as he noticed quick movement pass the cave entrance. _'Who would be out in the rain like this?'_ Itachi asked himself as he stood up and walked to the cave's entrance.

"Hey, Itachi where you going this late and in the rain too?" Kisame asked getting up to see if Itachi needed something.

"I'm going to check the area, I thought I saw something." Itachi answered placing one of Kisame's Akatuski cloaks over his head to shield him from the rain.

"Need any help?" Kisame asked, itching for a good battle that hasn't come in a long time.

"No, I'll be right back," and with those words, Itachi quickly made his way in the same direction he saw the person go. _'Something is wrong.'_ Itachi is thinking as he senses the unusual chakra trail left behind and follows it at a safe distance. After following the trail, he sees a clearing up ahead and something lying down in the middle of it. Moving quietly, he hides behind a tree to get a better look at the thing lying down without being spotted.

'_I wish I had my sharingan,' _he thinks angrily as he carefully makes his way toward the clearing. As he was about to step into the clearing he sensed another yet familiar chakra approaching and stealthily made his way back to his previous hiding place. Returning his attention back to the view in front of him, he wondered who was coming to the clearing and why did their chakra signature seem familiar. Just then Hinata jumped down from a tree into his line of sight.

'_Wait isn't that…that's why the signature felt familiar.'_ Itachi nodded in understanding as he watched Hinata go over to the body just lying there. _'That's Hiashi Hyuuga's oldest daughter. I remember seeing her late at night, training to the point of exhaustion, trying to prove her worth to her father.'_ Itachi then notice Hinata kneel next to the child on the ground asking gentle questions and stuttering a little.

'_The 'you' you show the world, but hide the darker side that you think no one sees' _Itachi thinks,mentally smirking as he remembered watching the shy Hyuuga child pound away at the nearby training post. Growling out how she will show up her smug little sister and prove to her father that she deserves to be recognized. Even going as far as naming the post she uses to train- Hanabi and father.

'_Not all she talks about while training,'_ he smiles thinking about how she practiced telling Naruto her feelings for him, standing up to her father, and how she will be respected in the eyes of the council, her sister, and her father. As Itachi heard Hinata ask her questions, he frowned noticing the stuttering in her words_. _

'_She's needs to be more confident in her and around others. Unlike Sasuke, she let the words of others tear her down so much until she barely had any confidence. I'm guessing that Naruto-kun is the reason for the change in faith.' _Itachi mentally smiled at the over-energized blonde who promised to bring his brother back no matter what.

'_Until then…maybe I can teach this Hyuuga how to be more confident in herself'_ Itachi then felt a large and unusual amount of chakra and noticed Hinata in a fighting stance facing the girl. Hearing the stuttering get worse, he soon realized there was the sudden increase in rain, thunder, and lightening as the heart of the storm came down hard. The akatsuki cloak he was using as a shield nearly blew out of his hands showed just how strong the wind was blowing.

'_This isn't a typical Konoha storm'_ Itachi thinks putting on the now drenched cloak and looking back at the scene. He then watches as the child stands up, hair blowing into her face. Noticing how no matter where the rain blew, her kimono stayed dried._ 'So she is the cause of the strange weather. The question that remains is why?' _Hearing gasping he turned his attention to Hinata who had a look of fear on her face.

"Something not right about that 'child' Itachi mutter wondering what made Hinata gasp like that. He then noticed the sudden change in the girl's appearance.

'_Wasn't she just reaching Hinata's neck and now she up to eye level and is that…cat ears and a tail I see. She must be using some kind of genjutsu to hide her true appearance although I don't understand what's with the animal parts.'_ The weather around them grew worse as the wind begin to howl and blow stronger, the lightning lighting up the night sky, and the thunder itself shaking the earth with its booming. Itachi felt the back of his throat ache as the sensation to cough suddenly and violently fell upon him. Itachi went into a coughing fit that he hope didn't give away his position.

'_This weather isn't good for my health' _he thought as the coughing continued as the thunder rumbled. While his eyes were closed from the coughing, he missed the interaction that took place between JT and Hinata. Finally when the coughing ceased, he looked back at the clearing…to be shocked in place. There in the middle of the clearing was Hinata, with a kunai in her hand, next to some weird child with animal ears, a tail, and now wings. Mesmerized by the sight, he didn't hear when company joined him.

"Who is the girl and what is with the wings?" Kisame asked close to Itachi who jumped in surprise. Given him his most evil glare, he silently cursed himself for not sensing him in the first place. Kisame just gave him one of his shark grins as he hid behind a tree next to Itachi's.

"You were taking too long so I decided to come find you and make sure you didn't assistance." Kisame said, answering Itachi's angry glare. They then returned their attention back at the clearing where Hinata was now in front of the child.

"I can't hear a word they saying thanks to this storm." Kisame half yelled to Itachi just to be heard against the booming of the thunder.

'_Strange, to me it sounds like the storm is lessening. Don't tell me I'm going deaf too'_ Itachi silently thought as the sounds around him became quieter. _'But wait, I'm able to hear them more clearly…what's going on?'_ is going through the Uchiha's mind as he listened to the prophecy. _'Courage and stealth…Naruto-kun and…ME'_ Itachi stares wide-eyed as he heard his name uttered from the strange cat girl, that is what he believe she was, and turned to look at Kisame. By the confused look on Kisame's face, he didn't hear the words the cat-girl just said as he stared in the clearing not noticing the shock on Itachi's face. However, his attention too was brought back to the clearing as he heard screaming coming from Hinata and he noticed the light engulfing her as her screams became louder. Kisame covered his eyes, blinded by the sudden flash of light and didn't see what happened the next few minutes due to it.

'_Why isn't the light hurting my eyes?'_ Itachi wondered as he noticed the cat demon girl looking around, in fear, of the screaming coming from Hinata. His line of eyesight was soon somewhere else as a strange boy suddenly stood in front of him, surprising Itachi into taking a step back. Jumping from the tree, Maru landed neatly in front of the usually calm but now surprised Uchiha.

"I hope you been taking your medicine" Maru asked his one eye staring deeply into Itachi's onyx ones. Barely nodding Itachi notice that the person in front of him had a normal green eye but had his forehead protector covering his other eye like Kakashi.

"Good then I can help you with that bad cough you have." Maru said his hand glow a faint red. "This should fix you up so you can fulfill your purpose and finally be rewarded for all you done for Konoha and your brother" Maru said as he poked Itachi in the very same manner he used to poke Sasuke when he was little. The boy suddenly disappeared as the light from the clearing faded. Itachi started to feel a warm sensation spread throughout his whole body as if dipped into a bath of warm milk and honey. He then felt power build up behind his eyes as he felt his sharingan become active once again. After the light faded, he felt weak and fatigue like when first woke up in the cave.

"Good luck" was the last thing he heard as Itachi started slipping into subconscious state. He barely recognized Kisame calling his name and catching him before he slipped into the black peaceful settings of sleep.

'_What the heck happened to him?'_ Kisame wonder as he placed Samehada on his back as he carried his fallen comrade back to the cave. After making sure that Itachi was covered, Kisame made his way back to the clearing to find some kind of clue as to what happened. As he made his way to the clearing, he noticed that the creature with the tail and wings was gone and lying on ground under literally a blanket of leaves was two bodies. Walking carefully, he made his way to the clearing to get a better look at the bodies. Seeing the blankets rise and fall confirmed that they were still alive. Noticing the long hair, he recognized Hinata as that 'Hyuuga girl'. Hearing rustling from the other body, he quickly grabs Samehada off his back ready to do battle, but what he saw next actually made him drop his sword in surprise. A second Hinata opened her eyes, looked at Kisame and yawned. Then standing up, covering herself with the blanket, she walked over to a hole in a tree and pulled out a set of Hinata's clothes and went behind some bushes to put them on. She then came back, laid back down and went back to sleep. Kisame, still dazed and confused, picked up his sword and quickly made his way back to the cave where Itachi was hidden. As he made his way over to the fire, he heard Itachi muttering in his sleep.

'_Since when did Itachi talk in his sleep?'_ Kisame thought trying to make out the words he was saying over the crackling of the fire.

"…Find the …ball, that's what you seek…then have …Hyuuga, she's yours to keep." Itachi then turned in his sleep and grew quiet. Kisame worrying for his ex-partner…no, his friend, he decided to stay the night and keep watch over him as the events of what just happened played over in his mind.


	4. Wake me up to find good girl gone bad

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

_Chapter Two- Wake me up to find Good girl gone bad_

'_Where am I?_' Hinata mentally asked herself as she tried to pinpoint where she was after waking up again. Barely opening her eyes, she saw the white walls behind a group of people and smell the cleanliness of the room. _'Am I…in the hospital?'_ Hinata focused on her surroundings as she started listening to the conversation between Naruto, Tsunade, Kiba, Shino, and Neji.

"So baa-chan, can you explain what happened to her?" Naruto asked looking at Tsunade.

"Brat, I told you…sigh. No I can't quite figure it out myself. How did this happen?" Tsunade asked with a frown on her face.

"We don't know. We found her like that and the only scent we could pick up was the smell of animals like a cat and a dog." Akamaru started growling at the word cat. Kiba then calmed down Akamaru by patting him on the head.

"My insects found two unusual chakra sources they never sensed before." Shino said calmly one of his insects crawling across his face.

"I didn't see anybody in my range of byakugan, so after the barrier lifted they must have left." Neji added wondering what the strange barrier was about. _'It seemed like the barrier was to stall us, but why did it let Naruto go inside?' _Neji wondered looking at the loud-mouth blonde who was still asking Tsunade questions on what happened to Hinata. "I don't know for the millionth time so stop asking me we will have to wait until Hinata wakes up." Tsunade answered angrily, not just at Naruto but also at herself for not letting them go earlier to search for Hinata_. 'Maybe part of this is my fault…' _Tsunade thought looking at the readings on Hinata's chart.

'_Naruto-kun is here?' _Hinata thought as her heart start to flutter at the thought of him pacing around, jacket off, looking sexy with his hair in its messy fashion. Hinata gasp after that thought entered her mind. _'Since when did I think of Naruto-kun that way? Okay, I always think of him that way but only in private, never when others are around.'_ Hinata started to blush, her cheeks turning red as the image decided to stick in her mind. Hinata started to groan from the stiffness and soreness all over her body as she tried to move. _'I must have trained too hard after all.'_ Hinata thought forgetting for a minute about the clearing incident.

Everybody turned and faced Hinata after they heard her gasp and then groan on the bed. Hinata looked up into the eyes of Tsunade, Shizune, Naruto, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, and Naruto. Each person had a different expression etched on their face as they stared at her. Tsunade and Shizune were staring at her like an experiment, Neji had a look of shock, Kiba had a look of confusion, and Shino's face expression was hard to tell due to his glasses. It was Naruto's face expressions that caught her attention. She noticed surprise, relief, and then a weird look she thought was…love…cross his face.

"Wh-where am I?" Hinata asked confused and looking around the room. "You're in the hospital Hinata-chan." Naruto answered trying to walk forward but stopped with a hand on his shoulder by Tsunade. Frowning at the odd gesture, Hinata tried to sit up but realized she couldn't. "What…why can't I move?" Hinata asked fear and confusion showed in her voice as she stared at the occupants in the room. "You're strapped down, Hinata. We didn't want to risk anything." Tsunade said writing down something on a chart and handing it to Shizune.

"Now Hinata, I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to answer them if you can." Tsunade said all seriousness in her voice. "Sure, anything you want." Hinata responded still confused why she was in the hospital and strapped down to the bed. Nodding she begin to ask Hinata the questions.

"Okay, first off, who am I?" Tsunade said pointing at herself and staring hard at Hinata. Even more confused, Hinata decided to answer the questions instead of ask why. "…you're Hokage Tsunade-sama." Tsunade nodded in agreement and Shizune wrote something down. She then asked her who Kiba, Shino, Neji, and Naruto were while Shizune continued to write stuff down on a clipboard. As she answered each question she grew more and more confused until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Can someone please explain to me why I strapped to a hospital bed and answering obvious questions because I'm really confused?" Hinata half-yelled, surprising everybody in the room for she was normally quiet and never yelled. After that outburst the room grew quiet. "She has a point, baa-chan, what is the point of restraining her and asking her these questions anyway I mean it's obvious-" Naruto started to ask but got caught off by Tsunade. "Will you shut it brat. I asking these questions because I have to make sure she isn't an imposter so sit down and be quiet." Tsunade yelled angrily at Naruto. "Sorry…I was just asking" Naruto said softly, feelings obviously hurt.

'_Naruto-kun.'_ Hinata thought, looking at how sad Naruto was when he was asking the question on her behalf. Tsunade and the rest didn't see the look on Naruto's face as they turned their backs to discuss something in private. Bad mistake. _'How dare they turn their backs on Naruto-kun when he was just curious?' _Hinata thought as she felt anger build up inside her like never before. _'I was the one who asked in the first place and it makes sense that Naruto-kun wants to know too. And you respond by yelling at him and rudely telling him to be quiet then ignore and leave him out like nothing even happen?' _The rage inside her grew too much to handle. "How dare you…how dare you disrespect my Naruto-kun!"Hinata literally growled out as she felt the built up rage come forth and seem to attack everybody, except Naruto, in the room.

'_Kyuubi, what is this power? I never seen or felt anything like this from Hinata-chan before. I don't know why but it feels strangely familiar to yours.'_ Naruto however didn't get a response so he assumed that the Kyuubi didn't know. However the Kyuubi was having his own thoughts about the mysterious power. _**'That's impossible. There's no way that child has that kind of power without someone knowing. It seems whatever happened in that clearing awoken something buried deep within her. Hmm, this could prove to be quite interesting and useful for me to finally get out.'**_Kyuubi thought as he sensed something nobody else but him could.

After Hinata growled her anger, an invisible force knocked Tsunade, Shizune, Kiba, Akamaru, and Neji into the wall behind them and breaking the glass window on the other wall. As soon as the rage left Hinata, she felt physically and emotionally drained as she laid her head back, wide-eyed, at the damage she just caused. "Did I…do that?" she asked timidly not quite sure what to expect. "Yes you did. Good job I might add…" an unknown voice said next to Hinata, smirking at the scene before her.

As Hinata was about to look at the speaker when she heard cursing coming from the wall. Turning her head she noticed her cousin's byakugan activated, Kiba growling, Akamaru whimpering, Shizune's shocked expression, Shino saying "interesting" as he looked passed her and Tsunade's anger rising. She then looked at Naruto who had mixture of shock, surprise, and confusion etched on his face.

Wondering what everybody was staring at over her shoulder, she turned to see…herself. Only it wasn't her because she was still in the bed and it wasn't a mirror because the '_her_' next to her was standing up. _'…huh?_' is the only thing that came to Hinata's mind as she saw an almost exact replica of herself standing beside the bed. The only difference was the slightly darker eyes, the I'm-bad-and-I-know-it stance with her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk that could rival Sasuke's, the jacket that was tied around her waist showing the shirt she wore underneath, and the weird aura that seemed to surround the Hinata-look alike.

"Yo, what's up, sis? You called me?" the Hinata look-alike said smiling that all-knowing smirk as she looked around the room. "Although it seems you didn't need me at all. Doesn't matter, I was getting bored stuck in that room with nothing to do but mess with the guards." A curse and a yell drew their attention back to the wall the group was thrown against as Tsunade had gotten up and had rage written all over her face. "How dare you attack me, the Hokage, like that and then possess one of Konoha's highest clan members. Get ready, for this is the end…for you" Tsunade said fueling chakra into her hand ready to punch Hinata out.

Scared for her life, Hinata tried to flee, but she was still strapped to the bed. The other Hinata just shook her head, muttering something like 'not going to end well' as she looked at Tsunade as if something was going to happen to her. With the others still in shock and Naruto running yet too far away to reach her in time she imagined something to protect her from Tsunade's wrath. As Tsunade came closer, time seemed to slow down to Hinata as she felt a great power rise inside her and she imagined a barrier of chakra between her and Tsunade who almost reached Hinata.

"No!" Hinata screamed eyes widening waiting for the pain but didn't expect to see swirling black chakra appear out of nowhere to create a force field around her. Tsunade's punch hit the chakra barrier which seem to absorb the chakra and repel the damage back at Tsunade sending her flying into the wall again effectively knocking her out cold this time. The chakra disappeared and all was quiet in the hospital room where the only sound heard was the wind blowing in from the broken window and the light sound of breathing.

"…did I…do that too?" Hinata asked quietly looking at the now unconscious Hokage. "You sure did when you imagined a barrier around you and you got one." The other Hinata explained laughter heard in her voice as she looked at the shocked faces of Naruto, Kiba, Neji, Shino, and Shizune. With the words of the other Hinata in her mind, she quickly imagined herself free from the straps holding her down. Concentrating hard, she felt the weird chakra build inside her and released it throughout her body. She then heard the straps being undone and Hinata was soon free. She sat up and looked at the still frozen-in-fear faces of her friends and family.

Finally snapping out of their daze Shizune covered Tsunade with her jacket and stepped in front of her as if to protect her. As Hinata was about to get out of the bed she notice Shino, Neji, Kiba, and Akamaru scoot further back against the wall as if scared she would attack them too. Naruto was the only one who didn't move not out of fear but because he was too busy having a conversation with an annoying demon fox who wouldn't answer his questions.

'_Okay, you baka fox. Explain to me what just happened? What the heck is going on around here? Where did that weird chakra come from? It's very similar to yours. Can you give other people your chakra or is it something deeper that I don't know about? And if so, how was Hinata able to use it? And how did she make that force field like thing?'_

"**Keep her safe Naruto"** is the only response Kyuubi gives roughly to all of Naruto's questions.

'_Eh, what kind of answer is that? Was that your chakra or not? Do you know what's going on here, Kyuubi?'_ Naruto kept asking wanting some answers for a change.

"**No and no. Just keep her safe Brat. I have a feeling something big is about to go down soon and she might be involved. So far the last time…Keep her safe and leave me the hell alone with all your stupid questions I don't know the answer too."**

After his somewhat one-sided conversation with the demon fox Naruto came back to the real world to see the others cowering against the wall and Hinata who was starting to cry. "Naruto-kun…do you fear and hate me too?" Hinata asked fearing the answer for she wasn't sure if her heart could take it. Naruto stood there as he heard the last words he thought he would hear come out of Hinata's mouth. _'Fear _her_…hate _her_… Oh the irony of it all. If she knew the truth about me…'_ Shaking his head he slowly made his way towards her as she was crying in her hands unable to look at the one she loved eyes filled with hate or fear.

Naruto felt kind of silly just standing there when he really wanted to comfort Hinata for he knew what it felt like to shunned by everybody because of the burden he carried. Hearing a sigh he looked up to the other Hinata who was holding some tissues in her hand. Taking them and thanking her Naruto gently lifted Hinata's face and wiped away the tears running down her face. Feeling someone hand's gently lift up her face, Hinata gaze meets Naruto and she notices the care in his eyes that made her smile as she let him dry her face.

'_There's something…different about her. What is it that seems unusual? Like it's something she's not doing…'_ Naruto wondered as he continued to wipe away her tears. When finished, Hinata looked up with pale lavender eyes bright from her tears as she smiles and says thank you to Naruto. _'Wait…that's it. She hasn't stuttered or passed out around me. She seems more…relaxed and confident about herself.'_ As Naruto stared into her eyes, a weird feeling came over him. _'What is this weird feeling? I never felt like this before. What is the raw urge like…I want to kiss her?'_ Naruto thought inching closer to Hinata's face. **"It's called desire." **_**'baka' **_Kyuubi muttered to his dense vessel as he wondered how he was sealed inside an idiot as smart as he was.

'_Oh my…Naruto-kun is coming closer. I don't know why…but I think he's going to kiss me.'_ Hinata thought as she watches as Naruto slowly inches closer to her face. Hinata feeling a new level of confidence slowly begins to meet Naruto half-way and claim the kiss she always wanted. As Naruto got closer he caught the scent, thanks to Kyuubi, of cinnamon buns and rain water. Memorized by that scent, he was almost nose to nose as they stare into each other's eyes. Naruto, lifting a hand, moves a lock of hair out of Hinata's face before capturing her lips with his own. Surprised for a second, Hinata didn't respond to the warm lips that were mashed with hers but she soon got use to it and starts kissing him back.

As they deepened the kiss, Tsunade finally recovers from being knocked out to notice the show going on. Shocked at what she sees, she looks around to see an enraged Kiba being held back by a confused but equally enraged Neji and a quiet Shino, a chuckling Hinata look-alike who was watching the show between the three boys, a whining Akamaru as he cowered in the corner, and a shocked Shizune who filled her in on everything that happened while she was knocked out. _'I need a drink'_ is what is on Tsunade's mind as she sends Shizune to gather the teams and their sensei to a meeting at the Academy. She then turned to the three struggling boys.

"Neji, I don't want you to tell Hiashi yet about this situation until we figure out what actually is going on. Kiba stop fighting it's obviously who Hinata wants and Naruto doesn't seem to be in any danger…except maybe from lack of air if he doesn't break away from that kiss soon." Kiba listening finally stop struggling and glares daggers at the back of the blond who was kissing the brunette. As Naruto and Hinata finally came up for air Shizune returned to inform them that the teams were in the meeting waiting for them. Seeing as Naruto has gotten in bed with Hinata and was sitting her in his lap stroking her hair Tsunade could safely say they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Gathering the group, she ushered them out of the room and told Shizune to keep watch and that she will be have ANBU placed outside the door and window just in case something else happens. As she turned to the two lovebirds she noticed they had started kissing again. Breaking away quickly Hinata laid her head against Naruto's chest while he stroked her hair gently liking the silky feel of it. "Oh Naruto-kun…" Hinata says snuggling up closer to him and listening to his calm heartbeat. "My sweet Hinata-chan" Naruto replies with a smile on his face. They both ignored the angry growl coming from Kiba as he tore out the room followed by Akamaru, Shino, Neji, and Tsunade. As their footsteps grew fainter the last thing that was heard was from the other Hinata who gave a scoff calling Kiba a _'stupid mutt.'_

*meeting at Academy*

All the teams and their sensei, except for Naruto, Kakashi, Kurenai, and her team were already waiting in a meeting room wondering why they were summoned so quickly. "Grr, where is Naruto at? He knows how Tsunade-sama gets when people are late." Sakura growls thinking about beating the late blonde up when he arrived. "Maybe he likes getting hit" Sai said, knowing that Naruto was always being hit by Sakura and use to travel with Jiraiya who was always hit by Tsunade.

"I don't think so Sai, I mean, Naruto knows better than to get on Tsunade-sama's bad side although I wonder where Naruto, Kakashi-senpai, and his temporarily team are. I hope they didn't pick up his ability to be late to everything." Yamato said wondering why Kakashi and his team were late. Suddenly Kakashi, Iruka, and Kurenai all poof in the room together just as everybody heard loud talking from down the hall. "What's going on I heard that Hinata is-" Kurenai started only to be interrupted by Kiba's loud voice as he and the rest of the missing people came through the door.

"I can't believe that Hinata is acting all smug like that. She reminds me of that Sasuke where I want to punch the smirk off her face and then Hinata starts kissing Naruto while she in the bed like that. For a second I thought they their mouths were stuck together for how long they were kissing." Kiba was about to continue ranting when Neji spoke up. "Kiba shut up I got a major headache and your yelling is making it worse." Neji said as he walked into the room with Shino and one very pissed Tsunade on his trail.

The room was dead quiet after hearing Kiba's outburst of Hinata's and Naruto's actions. "What's going on here?" Sakura yells the first to snap out of her shock. "What did you mean when you said all that Kiba?" Kurenai asked knowing that Kiba wasn't one to ever threaten Hinata in fact nobody in Konoha would ever threaten the shy and timid Hyuuga.

"What did you mean when you said that Naruto was kissing Hinata? Like a quick kiss on the lips followed by Hinata fainting?" Kakashi asked reading his orange book and earning an angry glare from Kurenai and Iruka which he missed. "No he means a kiss that is meant for… lovers." Neji said with a soft blush going over to his team as Kiba and Shino made their way over to Kurenai. The room went quiet again and the only sound that was heard was a THUNK as Kakashi's book fell out of his hand in shock at the news.

Sighing, Tsunade said she would explain all that has happen in a minute. Sitting down she grabbed a bottle of sake and instead of grabbing a cup she drank directly from the bottle in front of the group. Everybody could see and hear the stress in Tsunade as she explained what happened in the hospital room after they found Hinata in the clearing.

*back at Konoha Hospital*

Shizune was standing by the door as Naruto was holding Hinata in his lap and stroking her hair enjoying the soft connection between them. Hinata, enjoying Naruto's hands in her hair, was making a slight purring sound as she fell into a light doze. Shizune kept her eye on the other Hinata as she looked around the room. Naruto then heard movement as the other Hinata went to pick up the glass near the window, throw it away in a nearby trashcan, grabbed a chair, and sit next to the window to enjoy the breeze wafting in.

Naruto stared at the other Hinata as she was propping her feet up on the broken window still and getting comfortable. Catching Naruto staring at her she just stared right back at him until he looked away embarrassed at being caught staring. "Do you have a name?" Naruto asked wondering what to call her as not to offend her or get her upset as he seen what Hinata had done to the others. Surprised, the other Hinata blinked and shook her head saying she never thought of one. Naruto then asked her if she liked the name Kurai which means dark as he noticed her dark lavender eyes and the aura that screamed power. The other Hinata then smiled and said, "Yes, I like that name" as she went back to looking outside and watching the townspeople go on with their daily lives.

Nodding in agreement, Naruto then looked down at the real Hinata who started to fidget in her sleep as she woke up. Fully up Hinata looked up at Naruto and then around the room gasping after seeing Kurai, she slowly blinked and nodded her head as she now realized that what happened earlier wasn't a dream. "Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a slight blush on her cheeks as she looked up at the one she loved since she was little. "You need something Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked resisting the urge to kiss her again.

As soon as Naruto asked the question Hinata's stomach growled loudly in the quiet room making her blush as she responded by saying she was a little hungry. "I think you're more than a little hungry Hinata-kun?" Naruto said laughter heard in his voice. "How do some cinnamon buns sound to you?" Naruto asked then laughed when Hinata's stomach answered the question for her as he turned towards Shizune who was still watching Kurai. "Hey Shizune-san do you think you can go get us some cinnamon buns? Hinata is hungry and I know that baa-chan doesn't want us to leave the room."

Shizune turned to look at Naruto, a frown on her face, and then looked back at Kurai who was staring at Shizune. Rolling her eyes, Kurai stood, disappeared, and reappeared right in front of Shizune who gasped and dropped Tonton the pig who squealed in protest. Kurai smirked and walked over to the bed and lean against the wall. "It's not like you can stop me if I wanted to go anywhere anyway but I'm not going nowhere unless Hinata or Naruto ask me to so go ahead and go get some cinnamon buns and tea because I'm hungry too." Kurai said, looking out the window with a bored expression on her face.

Shizune who snapped out of her shock sighs, calls Tonton, and starts walking out of the room with Tonton behind her. "I'm telling ANBU to still keep a watch on you three. And you-" pointing to Kurai "are not to disappear anywhere, ok?" Kurai just looked at her and rolled her eyes again. "Did you not just hear me? I only obey Naruto and Hinata and only will do something for anybody else if I feel like it." Kurai said a frown etched on her face as she stared back at Shizune. Sighing Shizune then closed the door behind her and alerted the ANBU as she left to go get them their snacks.

10 minutes later, Naruto felt Hinata shift in her sleep as she tried to get comfortable. _'She really has been through a lot with her family, her friends, her feelings, and then the thing in the clearing.'_ After Shizune left, Hinata broke down and told Naruto all about that happened in the clearing. She also told him about her family problems and how she loved him since they were little. After telling him everything, she felt happier as she finally told somebody who would listen to her problems. Satisfied, she went back to sleep, Naruto's heartbeat a steady lullaby and that's when Naruto notice the hospital clothes they put her in. _'Hmm, where are her regular clothes?'_ Naruto thought looking around and not seeing them. Frowning at the thought of them taking her clothes, he then looked at Kurai who seemed extremely bored.

"Um Kurai can you do me a favor?" Naruto asked quietly as Kurai looked down at him. "Can you ask one of the ANBU to go get some clothes for Hinata-chan? Although it has to be in secret since Hiashi isn't supposed to know yet." Naruto asked as Kurai scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'll go get the clothes, if that is okay with you. Even if I'm caught they won't know I'm not Hinata." Kurai said who was itching to get out of the hospital room. Nodding in agreement, Kurai gave a two-finger salute and disappeared.

Five minutes later, Shizune came back with cinnamon buns and tea for three people. Placing the snacks down on the table stand, she looked around the room. "Um, where's the other Hinata?" Shizune asked, worry showing in her voice. "Her name is Kurai and I asked her to go get some clothes for Hinata-chan." Naruto replied gently moving towards the stand to grab a cinnamon bun. "You did WHAT?" Shizune screamed alerting the ANBU and waking up Hinata.

"You don't have to scream, jeez, you're almost as loud as baa-chan when she is woken up from a nap." Naruto said earning a giggle from Hinata. "What's the matter in here?" the ANBU who were guarding the door asked busting in ready for action. "Why did you let the other Hinata-" "Kurai" Naruto interrupted but was ignored "-leave?" Shizune said grabbing Tonton and heading towards the Academy. "Keep watch of them INSIDE the room this time." Shizune called out as she quickly made her way to the meeting room to tell Tsunade the bad news.

*back to meeting*

"Ok, so any suggestions?" Tsunade asked after she explained the events from Hinata's disappearance yesterday to today's hospital events. Kurenai had to sit down due to the shock of her once timid student and Iruka was rubbing her back while he thought of how much Naruto has changed. _'It makes sense Naruto would want to comfort her. She has been through a lot in two days and then have the ones she care for treat her like that. It must have hurt him as much as it hurt her.'_

Kakashi, who was picking his book up after hearing Tsunade's speech, opened it again and thought about what she said about Naruto. _'Hmm, it seems that Naruto has gown a lot these past years…maybe I should let him borrow one of my books some time… maybe not since it would remind him too much of Jiraiya.'_ Kakashi then begin to read the part he left off on reminding himself to ask Naruto where he learned to kiss.

"Hmm, we might have to either lock up Hinata and her clone or keep a watch on them both." Gai suggested earning him some gasp and shocked looks. "No, that wouldn't be wise." Neji spoke up, remembering how Hinata's clone suddenly appeared in the room beside her. "Naruto wouldn't allow it and as we seen today we can't exactly keep Hinata or her clone locked up as she can teleport to Hinata's side even in a room that blocks chakra."

However, that's not the only reason he didn't want to see Hinata locked up or kept on watch. When he saw Hinata's face when she blasted Tsunade into the wall she had the look of fear, confusion, and sadness in her eyes as she watched the ones she cared about look at her the same way…the same way the people used to look at Naruto. Neji suddenly hung his head as he remembered all too well how he acted looking at her like she was a monster when she was just as scared as the rest of them even more so since she didn't even seem to know what she was doing.

"Is it some kind of jutsu we don't know about?" Kurenai asked rubbing her belly absent-mindedly while Kiba and Shino both shook their heads. "My insects couldn't find any other traces of chakra on or in Hinata." Shino said an insect crawling on his finger as Kiba nodded in agreement. "Even with me and Akamaru's strong sense of smell, we couldn't find another scent in the area except the smell of a cat and I think a dog or a wolf, but no human smells although the rain could have washed away the smell." Kiba said suddenly feeling guilty as he felt he didn't try hard enough to find Hinata's culprit. _'It's actually sad the way I acted ever since I found out Hinata went missing yesterday. I should have tried harder to convince Tsunade to make us go then…like Naruto wanted too.' _Kiba then felt even worse after he remembered what he did in the hospital and the way he talked about his teammate after he left. _'I wouldn't be surprised if…if Hinata never wants to talk to me again.'_

Everybody in the room could feel the gloominess coming from Team Kurenai and Neji as they realized how horrible they were to Hinata who always tried her best to find good in everybody no matter how foul they acted. Tsunade even felt guilty as she realized that she had overreacted when the other Hinata suddenly appeared in the room. "Do anybody have any other ideas on what to do?" Tsunade asked softly looking around the room. "How about we get Ino and her dad to look into their minds? Maybe something they remembered can help us figure out what happened in the clearing." Kakashi spoke up still reading his book. Tsunade looked at him and blinked.

"That's…a good idea." Tsunade said thanking Kakashi and turning to look at Ino. "Ino, do you think you and your dad can help us with this? I'll treat this as a mission if need be." Blinking, Ino said it should be okay and that she will inform her dad as soon as she goes home. Nodding in thanks, Tsunade said the meeting was wrapped up however before anybody could move Shizune came running into the room, out of breathe, and whispered something in Tsunade's ear.

"NANI?" Tsunade yelled as she stared at Shizune who nodded. Cursing, she looked at Neji and told him, "Neji, get to the Hyuuga Manor quickly and see if you can find the other Hinata. It seems she went to go get clothes for Hinata on Naruto's permission. The rest of you except Ino will follow me to the hospital." Tsunade said as Neji and Ino quickly left to go home. "I hope I make it in time." Neji thought as he makes his way home to the Hyuuga Manor.

*at the Hyuuga Manor*

Kurai suddenly appeared in the main room of the main house. Knowing nobody was there she made her way to Hinata's room. She made it to Hinata's room and went inside just as a branch member saw her enter and went to alert Hiashi Hyuuga that Hinata was home.

Inside Kurai went through the all the drawers and the closet getting clothing for Hinata to wear. After collecting them, she then looked around for something for her to wear that was different so everybody would be able to tell them apart and stop attacking Hinata. Thinking like Hinata would, she looked under the bed and found a box deep in the center of the floor. "What do we have here?" Kurai said with a smile as she pulled the box out from underneath the bed. Putting it on top of the bed, she opened it and pulled out the outfit.

"This will do nicely." Kurai said looking at the outfit and accessories that the other kunoichi gave Hinata to make Naruto notice her but Hinata's excuse was that the outfit was too "open" and not right for her so she put it away. _'It make not be right for you Hinata but it's perfect for me.'_ Kurai thought as she was about to put the clothes on when the door knocked. Kurai silently cursed under her breath. Sighing, she hollered out "come in" as she turned her back to the door. "Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama has requested your presence to meet him in the dojo immediately" the branch member said bowing as she said so.

Grumbling about idiotic fathers and their timings which earned her a gasp from the branch member that she ignored Kurai suddenly smiled as she came up with a plan. "Tell him that I am coming right now." Kurai said putting the outfit back in the box. She then heard the door close as the branch member left to tell Hiashi. Laughing lightly, Kurai stood up to her full height, wore a smirk that would put Sasuke's to shame and walked to the dojo with a swagger. _'Sorry Hinata but I wanted to put our father in his place for a long time now.'_ Kurai was thinking as she stood in front of the dojo door and prepared to open it. "Oh I am going to enjoy this." Kurai muttered as she opened the dojo door and walked in.

*on route to Hyuuga Manor*

Neji made his way to the Hyuuga Manor at a semi-fast pace. He started thinking about how he failed in his duty as a Hyuuga clan member to protect Hinata and wonder if he should just go ahead and tell Hiashi. _'Either way when he finds out, it will be my death.'_ Neji thought as he remembered how his dad died to protect his brother Neji's uncle and how he failed to protect Hinata that day. _'Now that I think about it Hiashi might not even care saying that Hinata-sama was too weak to defend herself. If only he knew how much that Hinata-sama has truly changed all thanks to Konoha's number one knucklehead-Uzumaki Naruto.' _Neji then smiled at the idea of the other Hinata-_'we really need to give her a name'_ Neji thought -showing Hiashi how much stronger Hinata really got. If only he knew…

Making it to the Manor, he saw two branch members whispering to each other as they stood there obviously not doing their work. Walking towards them on his way to Hinata's room he starts overhearing their conversation, stops, and hides in the corridor adjacent to where they were whispering. "That's right. She saw Hinata-sama try and sneak back into her room and that's when she told Hiashi-sama and he requested her to meet him in the dojo. That same branch member went to get Hinata-sama and she heard her call Hiashi-sama a…idiot then told the branch member to tell Hiashi she was coming instead of going with her."

Just then, Neji spoke up scaring the other branch members as he rounded the corner. "You know it's rude to spread rumors and gossip especially if they were to get back to Hiashi-sama so I suggest you two go do something more important than gossiping." Neji said angrily as he quickly pass them making his way towards the dojo. _'Kuso, how am I going to explain this to Hiashi-sama?'_ Neji wondered as he quickly made his way to the dojo where Neji heard sounds coming from inside. _'I'm too late'_ is what he is thinking as Neji stops and listens to the sounds coming from inside.

He hears gasping followed by his uncle yelling something that was silenced by the thick doors. Neji quickly made his way to the dojo's door where he heard a THUD and then silence. Ready for battle, Neji yanked open the doors to find…something that makes him in stop in his tracks. Before his mind could register what he saw he felt an arm grab him as the person, he recognized as Hinata's "twin", dragged him around a corner and disappeared in a poof.


	5. Girl all the horny guys want

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

_Chapter Three- Girl all the bad guys want_

_*warning: following conversation contains hints of yaoi and Uchiha incest. However, it just for comical reasons only and is not to be taken seriously…unless you want to.*_

Me: Yes, reviews coming in and my story is still going strong. I got a lot of plans for where this story is going so be prepared.

Kisame: Hey, when are we coming back in the story? You mentioned us in like 1 chapter and that wasn't even a real chapter.

Me: Oh, hey Kisame, you and Itachi are going to make your grand entrance again soon. Hey speaking of Itachi where is he and Sasuke?

Kisame: uh… they're over there (Looks away in distance) 

Me: Huh? *Zooms in to see what's happening*

Sasuke: (drinking tea) Nee-chan, can you help me train to become stronger, please? (Adorable face no jutsu) 

Itachi: (eating onigirl) But you're still being watched by Madara so I can't until he's taken care of Sasuke.

Sasuke: (head hanging in sadness) …ok, niichan. (looks up) Nee-chan you got rice on your lip. I'll get it. (Licks rice off Itachi's mouth) There.

Itachi: Thanks. (Goes back to eating onigirl with brother)

Kisame: Does THAT look normal to you. Hello?

Me: *drooling* so hot…*Notice Kisame's glare* what? It's just an innocent gesture between brothers. 

Kisame: (frowning) Help me fix them now!

Me: Fine. *Grumbling as walking off* I'll get you for this, Kisame. I bet he still sore about having to be nice to an elderly person. (Although it was Itachi)

Me: Enjoy chapter 3 while I help Kisame break up a brotherly moment. 

_*leaving the Academy*_

The meeting had wrapped up and all the teams, their sensei, Iruka, Shizune, and Tsunade filed out of the building and were about to head to the hospital when they heard a sound behind them. Realizing it was laughter, the group turned and stood in shock as they saw…Neji and who the group believe to be the 'other Hinata' running towards them and laughing.

"It's the end of the world" Tenten said as she saw Neji, who never laughed, let alone smiled, doing both with the Hinata look-alike as they approached them. Stopping at a safe distance from the rest of the group, they exchanged a few more words before breaking apart. Holding a bag over one shoulder, the Hinata look-alike gave Neji a two-finger salute and disappeared with a poof. Neji then quickly made his way to his team. Tsunade (and Tenten) then asked Neji what that was all about as Neji, trying to keep a blank face but a smile tugging at his lips, explained what Kurai, "that's her name now" he told them, had did and what happened right before they got there.

"Kurai went to retrieve some clothes for Hinata but was seen by a branch member and went to tell Hiashi-sama."

Tsunade cursed but let Neji continued.

"Hiashi-sama then requested that Hinata see him immediately so Kurai pretended to be Hinata."

A chuckle escaped Neji scaring everybody as he retold what happened when Kurai went to see Hiashi.

_*Flashback to Hyuuga dojo*_

Kurai opened the dojo door to see Hiashi with a frown on his face, Hanabi with a smug look on hers, and the Hyuuga council with grim looks on theirs.

"You requested my presence otousan?" Kurai said bowing to hide the smirk she had on her face.

"Sit down Hinata-san" Hiashi ordered as he was very angry with her for breaking curfew and trying to sneak back into the room. As Hiashi opened his mouth to lecture her he noticed several differences in Hinata's "behavior" like that she didn't stuttered once since she arrived. And she didn't act scared or timid in fact "Hinata" had a strut in her walk as it showed that she was well confident and not the least bit worried about the situation. Kurai silently snickered when she saw Hanabi's smug face expression change to one of pure shock and ignored the council members who were muttering about her change in behavior. When Kurai reached the place in front of Hiashi and Hanabi were sitting she slowly lowered her body onto the mat as if time revolved around her then sat seiza-style on the mat and held her head down slightly keeping her eyes lowered so Hiashi wouldn't quickly recognize that she wasn't Hinata.

Regaining the ability to speak Hiashi questioned Kurai about her whereabouts when she failed to appear before curfew. "I was out training in the rain and I must have lost track of the time where I kept training until I fell asleep" Kurai lied smoothly keeping her voice soft and low as not to give herself away too quickly.

"That still is no excuse for a member of the main branch to stay out that late at night even if you were as you say "training" Hiashi said anger heard in his voice as he plainly didn't believe Kurai's story. Hanabi's smug grin reappeared on her face as she waited for "Hinata" to break down and start crying however everybody in the room was surprised when Kurai responded with

"I thought you wanted me to train harder as to not embarrass you or the Hyuuga clan name otousan"

The room was quiet after that statement and for once Hiashi didn't have anything bad to say because in a nutshell she was right. Nodding Hiashi agreed and told her to train hard but to still abide by the Hyuuga curfew. Bowing, Kurai resisted the urge to yawn as she asked to be dismissed which Hiashi allowed her to go.

"Good because there's a blonde and brunette in bed I need to get back to" Kurai muttered under her breath as she walked to the door, unfortunately Hiashi and everybody in the room heard her under the breath comment. As she was about to reach for the door, a loud cry of "HINATA" from one very angry Hiashi had her lowering her arm and sighing in frustration.

"Yes otousan?" Kurai asked the irritation heard deeply in her voice as she turned around to face her now red-from-anger father.

"You, the daughter of the main branch, dare go around the village reject and dropout who has been casted aside by so many?" Hiashi yelled, making the room echo with his voice which only made Kurai even madder.

"He is not a reject or a dropout, otousan he is Uzumaki Naruto, a great person who has been done wrong" Kurai said, trying hard to leave out the 'like me' part of that sentence. However, Hiashi seemed to have guessed that what she was thinking when he said, "If you think he's so great a person then why don't you fight me for his honor. The first one unable to move or knocked out of the ring is declared winner. If I win, you are to be disowned, sealed with the mark, and made to live with him where ever he may be." Hiashi said standing and quickly going to the center of the ring.

"And if I win-" Kurai started as she slowly made her to the ring, "-then I am to be made heiress once again, can't have the position taken away, and allowed to choose whoever I want to marry and my future children untouched by the curse seal." she finished as she entered the ring opposite side of Hiashi. Hiashi look to the councils who were muttering and finally nodded their head in agreement to the requirements.

"Agree" Hiashi said getting into a fighting stance. Kurai just placed her hands on her hips and flipped her hair back.

"Ready whenever you are otousan" Kurai said already looking bored. Enraged, Hiashi activated his byakugan (not paying close attention to the difference in chakra) and quickly made his way towards Kurai. As he got within striking region he aimed for an area that he knew wouldn't kill her but would cause serious pain, however he didn't manage to hit Kurai at all as she dodged his attack gracefully as if mocking him…which she was.

"Are you done warming up otousan?" Kurai said hearing gasping and muttering as Hiashi kept trying to hit her but she kept dodging them elegantly. After each attempted hit and miss, Kurai kept taunting Hiashi making him angrier and angrier as the spar went on.

"Otousan I think you're getting slower in your age."

Dodge.

"Come on otousan take this match serious."

Miss.

"I think you're getting soft otousan."

Dodge.

Kurai kept taunting Hiashi making him pay attention to one thing and one thing only…to strike his daughter no matter if it was a fatal blow or not. Hiashi saw an opening near her heart which he was about to strike ignoring the voice in the back of his head that was telling him he that he was about to kill his oldest daughter. What he didn't know was that Kurai had been planning that all along as she watched her "father" try and attack her heart. As Hiashi was about to strike Kurai quickly side-stepped him, staying inside the ring and flipped her hair to the right effectively smacking him in the face. On instinct Hiashi used his hands to rid his face of her hair, missing the smirk that was on Kurai's face as she made some fake hand signs while she gathered chakra to certain parts of her body. She then mentally "talked" to Hiashi and said _'good spar, otousan…but it ends now'_ as she extended her fingers. Chakra then emitted from her hands, feet, top of her head, and the lower part of her back. The chakra then shaped itself into paws with 5 sharp claws, ears, and 9 black flowing tails. Kurai had taken the form of a black nine tailed fox with her chakra as she felt the shock from everybody in the room. Growling Kurai smirked as she heard the council gasp and saw the fear in Hiashi's eyes as he saw what she could do.

'_You never appreciated how hard she trained, always looking down on Hinata, who always had to pick herself up and try again. The only reason she tries so hard is because she saw how Naruto, no matter how badly he was treated, get back up and prove them wrong. The same thing I'm about to do to you, oh and by the way, Hinata learned this technique on her own.'_ Kurai said with a smile as she charged up her chakra. "_Demon style: Gentle Fist of the Kitsune_" Kurai said and then she disappeared and before anybody could figure out where she went or what had just happened they saw Hiashi grunt and take a step back as one of his arms became lifeless. Then the other and after that he felt like his body was being set on fire as Kurai effectively hit his tenketsu points with pinpoint accuracy. After what felt like minutes but was actually seconds Kurai suddenly appeared in front of Hiashi and started walking closer to him, a chakra-clawed hand reaching for his heart. The room was filled with tension as the council and Hanabi waited for Hinata to deal the finishing blow unable to move due to the shock they all felt. Hiashi looked down at Kurai as she looked up in his eyes where he gasped as he noticed that Kurai's eyes were a shade darker than they should have been. With a smile on his face as he realized the truth, he waited for her to strike the tenketsu point near his heart and win the match. However nobody in the room expected Kurai to get rid of the chakra animal parts, poke Hiashi in the chest with a normal finger, and say

"You're out of the ring, otousan."

Looking down everybody realized that Kurai was right and that Hiashi was in fact out of the ring where he stood in shock for a few minutes until a small smile showed on his face.

"I knew she had the power deep within her" Hiashi silently said Kurai the only one who heard him and nodded in agreement. Then turning to the council and Hanabi he loudly stated "Hinata has won the match, therefore her deal will be met. Hinata is the new heiress of the Hyuuga main branch and can't have the position taken from her. Also her and her children are safe from the caged bird seal."

The council was speechless after that announcement and then everybody heard a loud THUD as Hanabi's head hit the table where she fainted from shock after hearing the news.

"Good…now about that comment earlier, I meant Naruto and Hinata in the hospital bed where she is resting peacefully. He hasn't harmed her in fact he is the only one who didn't cower away when he saw me so don't go overboard when you visit them" Kurai whispered to Hiashi as she stretched and looked at the door. "Can I leave now?" Kurai said already heading for the door.

"Of course and don't worry I will tell her of the good news" Hiashi whispered as he watched Kurai make her way to the dojo door just as it suddenly swung open to reveal Neji who look ready for battle. Surprised he stood up normally and took in what he saw, Hanabi passed out on the table, the council angry and talking to Hiashi who had a big smile on his face. Confused Neji was about to ask what happened when Kurai grabbed his arm, rounded the corner, and disappeared.

"That girl was not Hinata. Therefore she can't be made heiress of this clan" the council said anger glaring in their white eyes.

"That girl was indeed my daughter _'if not all of her'_ and you saw with your very own eyes she that defeated me, barely even having to fight back. She didn't just rely on strength, oh no, she used her quick wits, her opponent's emotions, and paid attention to her surroundings to not only beat me but teach me a lesson too." Hiashi said remembering the words Kurai had uttered to him in his mind.

"Even you, the council, agreed to the terms and as I shown with how I acted that I wasn't going easy on her either and under the Hyuuga clan laws once a deal is set and agreed to it can't be undone no matter who makes the deal."

Hiashi then left the sputtering and angry council people as he exited the dojo and made his way to the hospital to give his daughter the good news. By the time Neji got his bearings after being teleported back to Hinata's room Kurai had already went inside. Now having time to think Neji thought about the scene at the dojo…which still didn't make sense to him. Neji heard the door open and close and watch the other Hinata walk out with some of Hinata's clothes and a box. Kurai then started walking away, out of the Hyuuga Manor, with Neji quickly following her.

"Hey um…" Neji started but still didn't know what to call her.

"My name is Kurai" she said as she looked at Neji beside her.

"Ok…Kurai, could you explain to me what happened back there in the dojo before I arrived?" Neji asked not paying attention to where they were going.

"I was going to tell you anyway but first let's get something to eat because I'm starving" Kurai replied stepping into the dango shop with Neji. Inside Neji and Kurai sat down to eat dangos and drink tea while Kurai retold what happened at the dojo where Neji was shocked that Kurai had not only outsmarted Hiashi but the council too and laughed when Kurai got to the part about Hanabi.

"I don't normally talk bad about the main branch (with other people) but Hanabi always act like a snob rubbing her success in Hinata's face it actually made me angry every time I'd see that smug look on her face directed at me or Hinata."

Kurai grinned as her planned worked better than she had expected.

"She won't be acting so smug now" Kurai then told Neji about the deal she made and Neji almost spew his tea everywhere.

"And they agreed to it?" Neji asked astonishment heard in his voice.

"Yep, they didn't know I wasn't the Hinata they were expecting until after the challenge has been met."

Finishing their quick snack they got up and started walking back to the hospital when Kurai looked into one of the stores, instantly stopping, and smiled. Handing Neji the box and the clothes he watch Kurai go into the store, pick up a black backpack with a silver fox on it, pay for it, and come back outside. Placing the clothes and box inside she slung the backpack over one shoulder as they started running in the direction of the hospital.

_*end of flashback*_

"That's when we slowed down and stopped after seeing everybody and Kurai told me she was going to go ahead to the hospital to deliver the clothes then she disappeared" Neji stated as he finish telling his story while the group was speechless as they continued their walk to the hospital.

"Wow, so Hinata is once again heir to the clan?" Kiba asked remembering the times he saw Hinata train and suddenly start crying asking why she wasn't strong enough.

"Yes and she can't be removed from the position no more thanks to Kurai's fool-proof deal" Neji said as a smile came across his face. Everybody started talking asking about the Hyuuga laws and stuff except one person who had another curious thing on her mind.

"Hey Neji what were you two laughing about before you joined us?" Tenten asked wondering what was so funny that it made the normally silent and stoic Hyuuga laugh out loud like that.

"Uh…I'll tell you later" Neji responded making sure to keep a straight face and keep looking ahead while he remembered the question Kurai had asked him moments before they spotted the teams.

_*flashback*_

'_Kurai started chuckling as she thought of something. "Yo, Neji, do you think Hanabi will start to act like Hinata or Sakura?" she asked. "Huh? What do you mean?" Neji asked spying the teams leaving the Academy. "I mean she, no doubt, will always keep fainting from the shock of losing the position of heiress to Hinata and her forehead will get big with all the bashing and I wonder if she will have fainting spells around Hinata or get an obsession with her." Kurai said laughing. Neji, finally understanding what Kurai meant, couldn't help but laugh as he imagined Hanabi acting like both Hinata and Sakura.'_

_*end of flashback*_

"Why can't you tell me now?" Tenten asked Neji bringing him out of his thoughts as they spotted the hospital ahead.

"Because Sakura would kill me if I did and I value my life right now" Neji muttered under his breath walking a little faster.

"What was that Neji?" Sakura asked hearing her name.

"Nothing Sakura, come on let's go see Hinata-sama" Neji said running ahead with a blush on his cheeks for being caught while Tenten, giggling, was hot on his heels because she heard what he muttered and was now super curious on what Kurai said to him. Quickly following the group made their way to Hinata's room where Neji opened the door to be greeted by…Hiashi. For the third time that day (first the news at the Academy and the second Neji laughing) the group were surprised by unexpected situations as Hiashi turned toward the door and stood up from the chair he was sitting in. Neji could see the look of shock and surprise on Naruto's and Hinata's faces as Hiashi looked at him.

"Please come here Neji" Hiashi asked noticing Neji's confused look and Neji quickly made his way over towards the bed.

"Yes Hiashi-sama?" Neji said with a slight bow missing the look of sadness in his uncle's eyes until he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see a soft smile on his uncle's lips.

"Please call me oji-san" Hiashi asked making Neji nearly fall in surprise as he took a step back.

"O-ok oji-san" Neji said not quite over the shock yet as Hiashi nodded, smiled and looked over at Hinata and Naruto.

"Hinata has been re-selected as heiress of the main branch and the position is final. She has not only proven her strength but her quick wits, knowledge of her opponent, and her surroundings to easily defeat me. Hinata and her children are safe from the cursed seal mark and this deal can't be undone" Hiashi stated pride heard in his voice while behind him Hinata was stammering over her words trying to get a complete sentence out.

"Wait otousan-, but I wasn't-, I mean I couldn't-, it wasn't-, well it was, but you see-"

"It's okay Hinata I understand and I'm very proud of you" Hiashi said making his way to the door as the group quickly filed in to give him room. Stopping and turning around he turned to look at Neji.

"Neji, when you come home I want to explain some hidden Hyuuga laws I think you should know about." Hiashi said and then left leaving Neji extremely confused, Hinata unable to speak, and Naruto and the rest of the group shocked as the room was silent except for the occasional oink from Tonton and the slight whimper from Akamaru.

"What just happened that I should know about?" Tsunade asked looking at the two in bed her temper rising. "And why are you still in bed with Hinata?" she demanded knowing that Hiashi wouldn't have allowed that.

"Well I was feeding Hinata-chan cinnamon buns when we heard a knock at the door, the ANBU opened it and in came Hiashi who had a weird look on his face. After seeing him I quickly tried to get out of the bed and ended up falling out of it but all he did was sighed and said that it was okay…as long as I didn't touch Hinata-chan inappropriately."

Tsunade, Neji, and Kurenai were shocked to hear that because they all knew that Hiashi would not allow that kind of relationship with Hinata let alone from Naruto.

"Yea I was as surprised as all of you were and thought it was a test at first until Hinata-chan said I could join her again. So I did cautiously and Hiashi then started explaining about the fight and how Hinata was the new heir and allowed to marry me if she wanted and how he wanted her to train hard and-" Naruto said but stopped when he heard several gasp.

"He's letting you marry whoever you want Hinata-sama even Naruto?" Neji asked not quite sure he heard right.

"Yes he said he would approve of my marriage with Naruto-kun saying that Naruto-kun has made a big impact on my life and helped me become strong. He wished for me to be around him more often so Naruto-kun can continue to help me get stronger" Hinata said finally able to make sentences again. Just then Ino and her dad came into the room and notice how quiet the room was.

"Sorry we're late but we…What did I miss?" she asked looking around at the shocked expression until she caught site of Naruto and Hinata in bed together. Eyes growing wide and mouth hanging open slightly she quickly made her way to Sakura and asked her what happened. The two kunoichi then went to a corner where Sakura caught Ino up on what was happening while Tsunade and Shizune, who was holding Tonton, explained the situation to Ino's dad and what she needed them to do. Shikamaru and Chouji went over to the window eating chips and watching the clouds while Kakashi was reading his book and ignoring Gai who was trying to issue a challenge. Neji and Tenten was huddled together giggling and laughing as he told her what Kurai had asked him on the way to the Academy while Lee tried to listen to them but failed. Kurenai sat in the chair, with some help from Iruka, next to Hinata's bed eating on cinnamon buns while the rest of the group made up of Sai, Yamato, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru crowded around the bed asking many questions. After Sakura finished telling Ino everything and Neji and Tenten stopped giggling and laughing they all joined the group near the bed.

"So, how does your father know about Kurai anyway?" Ino asked curious as to how he was able to take it so well. Tsunade, who just finished talking, looked around with a frown on her face just as Neji noticed the fox backpack open and full of clothes but not-

"Hey, where is the other Hinata at anyway?" Kiba asked loudly making everybody even the ANBU look around the room but didn't see her just as a sigh was heard outside the door.

"My new name is Kurai so please call me by it." Everybody heard somebody say as the door opened.

"And I'm right here I just went to change so you all can tell the difference between us, so what do you think?" Kurai said coming into the room with a completely different outfit on. Kurai was wearing dark blue open toed shoes held by a strap across and up the side attached to her ankle with a short heel that matched her dark blue pants that stopped at the calves. She had wrappings up on her right thigh and one on her left ankle followed by a dark purple weapons case on her right leg where the wrappings were. Her fingernails were painted with lavender nail polish and were accompanied by long purple fingerless gloves that went well with the purple forehead protector around her neck with the Konoha leaf symbol. She even wore a dark purple Konoha flak jacket that she wore over a t-shirt that could be seen.

"Where did you get all that stuff?" Tsunade yelled while the kunoichi, who gave Hinata the clothing she was wearing, stared at her in shock at how good it looked on her.

"It was a gift from some friends and I know that Hinata wouldn't mind me wearing it, oh and if you mean the vest and forehead protector I got the vest from Hinata's closet and the forehead protector from the ninja academy thanks to-

"Young lady you take that vest and forehead protector off right now for you didn't earn it and not allowed to wear it" Tsunade said her temper rising as she glared at Kurai who just nodded a small smirk on her face.

"Okay but I think you will let me keep it in a minute" Kurai said unzipping the vest.

"What do you me-?"

Tsunade gasp as she realized what Kurai was saying while behind her she heard gasp and other sounds as everybody turn to look at Kurai who was wearing a purple t-shirt underneath the jacket. The t-shirt was split down the middle showing a lot of the fishnet t-shirt she was wearing however the fishnet didn't leave much to the imagination as Kurai's chest was drawn tightly against the shirt. Raising her hands to untie the protector her shirt rose a bit and the fabric of the fishnet was stretched even more tightly drawing almost all the people's attention in the room.

"You like it? Anko helped me fix it up a little along with the vest and forehead protector." Kurai said grinning as she took in everybody's reactions. Tsunade and Shizune sweat dropped as Ino's dad just nodded in approval while Iruka blushed and looked away and Kurenai stared a look of surprise on her face. Tonton oinked and Akamaru barked while Kiba started drooling with a huge nosebleed running down his face as Shino's glasses dropped undetected to get a better look while Sai begin to draw her self-portrait on a scroll. Chouji dropped his bag of chips and Shikamaru continued to look outside saying that it was too troublesome to look but was actually hiding the blush on his face as he saw her out of the corner of his eye. Kakashi dropped his book a second time eye bulging at the outfit and even Gai and Lee were left speechless by the power of the shirt. Naruto just glanced and went back to playing in Hinata's hair, who didn't mind the way all the people were staring at Kurai. Sakura, Ino, and Tenten were all thinking the same thing.

'_Yes the clothes work with some adjustments from Anko but damn it didn't it work to well and on all the wrong boys too'_ they thought looking around the room. And poor Neji who couldn't take all the things that had happened today and then mix with seeing Kurai's new outfit he couldn't take it. His mind shut down and he was knocked out quickly caught by Tenten who was next to him.

"Here you go" Kurai said handing Tsunade the protector and jacket with a small smile on her face. Sighing Tsunade told her to keep the jacket and protector as long as she kept them on and bought a couple of fully attached shirts. Chuckling, she put the jacket and forehead protector back in place and went to stand next to Kurenai who was nibbling on a cinnamon bun. Grabbing one for herself, she then turned to Tsunade and asked, "So, when can we be released from this place?" Kurai asked quickly biting into the sweet roll. Finishing off the sticky treat she began to lick each finger slowly which caught several of the boy's attention. After she was done with that she licked her lips and said, "Yum, tasty" followed by silence and then a thud followed by a yelp as Akamaru became the landing pad for Kiba who passed out due to loss of blood. Kurai suddenly laughed calling Kiba a "horny mutt" while Tsunade sighed and said "what the hell is going on around here?"

_*the next day at hospital*_

"Okay it seems you were telling the truth after all Hinata" Tsunade said as Ino and her dad left the hospital room after looking inside Hinata and Kurai's minds. Once inside they viewed the memory of that night and retold Tsunade who matched it to what Hinata and Kurai had told her.

"Did you recognize the mysterious figure?" Tsunade asked Kurai who shook her head no saying that it was too dark to see anything.

"Hmm, it must have been someone collecting wood for a fire as she remembered Kurai saying she saw the man drop something that made a weird sound. Clearing her throat she said that Hinata and Kurai were able to leave the hospital as long as they stayed in Konoha. Nodding Tsunade and Naruto left the room to give Hinata privacy to change while Tsunade wanted to ask Naruto a few questions.

"Naruto, have you been feeling okay lately? You have been acting very protective of Hinata ever since of two days ago even noticing her affection for you after so long" Tsunade asked looking deep into his sapphire blue eyes when Naruto frowned at what she had said.

"Yes baa-chan I feel fine and the reason I have been protective of her is because I know what it feels like to carry a large burden and to be looked at with fear and hate-filled eyes of people around me. I grew used to the looks and whispers after 16 years so it doesn't bother me but when you, Shino, Neji, and Kiba look at Hinata that way I saw her face and I knew the pain and hurt she felt for something she couldn't control." Naruto said staring back into Tsunade's eyes until she looked away remembering how she tried to attack Hinata when the poor girl couldn't even defend herself.

"My heart ached for her knowing that the ones she cared about feared her not even thinking about how she felt. I know the pain she went through and I didn't want her to go through the same thing I did because it's a lonely road that no one especially Hinata should go down." Naruto said looking down as he relived his childhood in his mind. Tsunade almost burst into tears as she felt the pain and truth and love behind Naruto's words as they hearing movement from behind the door.

"And for your last question" Naruto said watching the doorknob turn.

"I didn't realize her feelings when I was younger."

The door opened to reveal Hinata in her regular clothes a slight blush on her cheeks as she carried the fox backpack while Kurai behind her nodded, closed the door, and walked down the hall waiting at the end.

"But I recognize them now and I'm not letting them go" Naruto finished taking Hinata's hand in his as he walked down the hall to a waiting Kurai and together the trio made their way to the exit. Tsunade just stood frozen in place at the wisdom of Naruto's words.

'_He really is becoming like his father' _Tsunade thought as she started to walk away only to remember one thing. Cursing slightly she quickly caught up with the trio who was about to leave saying she had something to say.

"First I would like to apologize to you Hinata and you too Kurai for my behavior from two days ago."

"Apology accepted" Hinata and Kurai said at the same time making Naruto and Tsunade smile.

"Thank you and second Hiashi said that he wanted the three of you to visit him when you get the chance."

They all nodded knowing that they would have to see him at some point.

"And third…what are you going to tell people if they ask about Kurai because I don't want Konoha in a state of panic thinking we are under attack of ninja clones. They might riot if they think another Naruto is running around."

At that, Tsunade, Hinata, and Kurai laughed at the thought of another ramen-loving knuckleheaded prankster running around Konoha.

"We already have a story made up where we will tell everybody that Kurai is Hinata's long-lost twin sister that was kidnapped at birth. She made her way to Konoha to find out about her real family and we are giving her a tour of Konoha." Naruto said getting a nod of approval from Tsunade who then waved them off as she left to take care of some hospital business. Once outside they decided to tour the town even though Kurai already knew Konoha but never experienced it since she could mind link with Hinata and see all her memories. As they walked around they saw the rest of the Konoha 11 who joined them on their tour of Konoha. As soon as _Ichiraku Ramen_ was in site and the smell of cooked noodles caught their noses Naruto's stomach growled loudly earning a laugh from everybody.

"I'm guessing that's your way of saying you want ramen, huh?" Sakura teased knowing that all Naruto ever thought about was ramen.

"You know it. The place to get the best ramen in all Konoha and maybe the world is _Ichiraku Ramen_" Naruto said loudly earning him some stares as the group just laughed at the over-energized blonde.

"I thought I heard my number one customer out here" Teuchi said looking outside at Naruto and the gang. "And I am to guess that one of the beauty ladies on your arm is your girlfriend?" he asked looking at Kurai who smiled and Hinata who blushed.

"Um, well yes, I mean if she will, I mean if you will?" Naruto stammered out rubbing the back of his head in nervousness, looking at Hinata who was blushing thinking Naruto looked so cute when he was nervous.

"Why yes Naruto-kun I would love to be your girlfriend" Hinata said wanting to say those words for a long time.

'_Oh my, he finally said them. He finally said the words I always wanted to hear him say to me. Today is the best day of my life'_ Kurai chuckled and shook her head at how excited Hinata was when her mind-link with Hinata showed her what she was really thinking.

Eyes glowing with happiness Naruto goes up to Hinata and give her a long kiss that has some citizens whistling, cheering, and saying get a room. Naruto suddenly stopped kissing Hinata when he felt a tenketsu point in his arm be hit by Neji who had a scowl on his face.

"I'm okay with you dating and kissing my cousin but at least remember where you at before you go too far."

Both of them blushing Naruto took Hinata and Kurai's hand and lead them into _Ichiraku Ramen_ followed by the rest of the game. Then sitting at the counter Lee, Sakura, Ino, Sai, Naruto, Hinata, Kurai, Tenten, Neji, Shino, Kiba, Chouji, and Shikamaru all ordered their ramen.

"So Hinata what exactly happened at the clearing? Ino wouldn't tell us saying we should ask you but if you don't want to then you don't have to answer" Sakura asked curiosity showing in her voice as she looked down at her. Everybody's face showed curiosity except Shino and Shikamaru who faces always remained expressionless as they all wanted to know what happened that night. Hinata quickly recited what happened that night finishing just as the food arrived. They all started eating taking in what Hinata said as Naruto was already finishing his first bowl and was ordering another.

"You need to slow down Naruto I wish you would learn some manners when eating" Ino said slowly eating her diet ramen.

"I'm hungry" Naruto answered as he started eating his second bowl of ramen more slowly though this time. Hinata and Kurai finished their bowls next and both ordered another bowl surprising Neji and her team.

"Wow Hinata you rarely finish one bowl of ramen and now you asking for another… you not starting to act like Naruto are you?" Kiba asked who was about to order a second bowl himself.

"I'm just really hungry since I didn't eat much yesterday" Hinata stated as she and Kurai thanked Teuchi for the new bowls. Almost spilling the hot broth Naruto quickly grabbed the bowl as it started to tilt.

"Sorry, it's very hot" Hinata apologized to Naruto who set the hot bowl down blowing on his fingers. Smiling Naruto picked up a fresh pair of chopsticks and started to feed the ramen to Hinata making Neji almost choke on his ramen when he saw Naruto feeding Hinata small bits of ramen forgetting about his.

"Aw. So kawaii" the kunoichi said watching as Naruto blew on the hot noodles before feeding them to Hinata. Kurai just sat there eating her ramen enjoying the taste of the salty treat and ignoring the stare she got from Kiba as Naruto finished feeding Hinata hers. Naruto then moved close to her and gave her a quick kiss.

"Yum, you and ramen make a good combination" Neji, Shino, Chouji, and Lee started coughing hard as they tried to swallow the ramen they had been eating while the girls went into a giggle fest. As Naruto finished his previous bowl and asked for another Neji just sighed and went back to his ramen.

"At least you have some manners around my cousin" Neji muttered as he finished his bowl of ramen.

"But of course Neji besides I'm sure I will learn a lot of manners when I'm around Hinata even more" Naruto said halfway done with his third bowl.

"What do you mean? Tenten asked wishing that Neji would feed her ramen like Naruto just did with Hinata.

"I mean that after Hiashi approved of our relationship and wanted me to move in with Hinata" Naruto stated as he finished his third bowl and started to take out Gama-chan, his frog wallet. There was a whole lot of commotion as Kiba choked on his ramen and Shino went quieter than usual where Neji had a shocked look on his face while Chouji started patting Kiba on the back helping him clear his throat.

"How did that happen?" Tenten asked hearing how strict the Hyuuga clan rules were from Neji.

"Wow, really?" Ino asked excitement heard in her voice as she looked at Naruto and Hinata. Lee, who had flames burning in his eyes, said that it was wonderful news and goes on to talk about youth while Shikamaru said that it was too troublesome to move and just sat there and Sakura had a look of awe on her.

"Seriously" Sakura asked looking down at Naruto who just nodded as he paid for his ramen.

"Why is that? All you will do is see how little Naruto's p-" Sai started only to have his mouth covered over by an angry and blushing Naruto while Hinata giggled. Kurai just gave them a sideway glance as she lightly shook her head smiling a bit at the playful gesture. After paying for their food they all got together outside before going their separate ways.

"Oh, by the way Sai," Hinata said with a grin on her face. "I know for fact that Naruto isn't small and is rather gifted," she said earning her a 3-second moment of silence before an uproar of "WHAT?" and "I'm going to kill you, Naruto" from Kiba and Neji as they started to chase the poor blonde who was dodging their attacks while all the kunoichi asked how she knew. Quickly yelling that she was kidding and stating that Naruto would never disrespect her like that the raging duo finally stop chasing poor Naruto who was about to use shadow clones to escape. Gasping as he came back, he asked Hinata to never joke like that again. Kyuubi, on the other hand, was laughing his fur off at the trick she pulled on Sai which somewhat backfired.

"**Heh, I like her Naruto. She is a lot feistier than she was before and would make a better host than you, I approve so take care and have fun." **Kyuubi said laughing again as Naruto mentally cursed him and followed the Hyuugas back to the manor. Naruto, Neji, Hinata, and Kurai were walking towards the Hyuuga Manor where they saw Hanabi waiting for them at the front gate. Hearing Neji cough loudly masking the sudden laugh that escaped his throat, Kurai just smirked noticing the red spot on her forehead where she fainted from earlier.

"It seems she turning into both huh Neji?" Kurai asked as Neji burst into a fit of laughs surprising Naruto and Hinata.

"Neji-nii-san, I never heard you laugh like that… Kurai what did you tell him?" Hinata and Naruto asked looking between Neji and Kurai. Neji, who finally was able to catch his breath, stopped laughing and look down slightly unable to look Hanabi in the face for fear of laughing again. With an extremely hate-filled look at the group, especially at Hinata, she told them to follow her not yet seeing Kurai who was hiding behind Hinata. Kurai rolled her eyes and disappeared making everybody, even Hanabi, turned around in surprise.

"What was that?" she demanded looking directly at Hinata who turned back around to answer her question.

"It was a friend" Neji said quickly not sure how much Hanabi knows about Kurai. With a glare, she quickly walked ahead not caring if they were following her or not. The group, wondering where Kurai went, quickly caught up with Hanabi as she took them to her father's study.

"Otou-san I brought them just liked you-" Hanabi was saying, forgetting to knock, as she opened the door but stopped when she noticed who or what was already inside.

"Yo Hanabi, since I wasn't supposed to be seen yet, I decided to gone and go ahead of you" Kurai said already sitting down in the study drinking tea with Hiashi.

"Thank you Hanabi could you please close the door I got something important to discuss with all of you."

Just then Hanabi looked from Kurai to Hinata and back.

"…" was all she said before she hit the floor unable to believe that there were two Hinata's in the room. Sweat dropping Naruto and Neji picked up the unconscious Hyuuga and went to place her on a futon in the corner.

"Hmm, I guessing she's going to act more like Hinata then." Kurai said before sipping more tea as Neji almost dropped Hanabi from laughing too hard.

"Kurai-sama…please not now" Neji said trying to get in control of his voice knowing that it was impolite to talk about the main branch in front of Hiashi who just gave Neji and Kurai a curious look and then wave away their comments. After placing Hanabi down on the futon Neji and Hinata went over to where Hinata and Kurai were sitting and took a seat on the mats.

"Okay, first order of business is your new living arrangements" Hiashi said writing down something on a form.

"Hinata, you and Kurai will temporary live with Naruto while I finish the preparations of the house near the forest on Hyuuga property then you three can move into the house and have all the privacy you need although I suggest you don't try anything" Hiashi said staring hard at Naruto who nodded his head quickly.

"Um, oji-san, I don't understand I mean you're not acting, well, like yourself." Neji said eyeing his uncle to make sure he wasn't an imposter or possessed. Chuckling, Hiashi nodded looking at them all who had concerned looks on their faces.

"I know Neji, but it is in fact, me. This is the second thing I wanted to tell you. I know you four, well three" looking at Kurai who just looked bored, "are wanting to know why I'm not shocked at Kurai's presence or why I having all the living arrangements and things done. It's because I had a dream which foretold all that was going to happen the day before the incident in the clearing." The trio just gasped as they stared at Hiashi who looked sad for a second.

"In my dream, an unusual female came to me and told me that Hinata's life would change that tomorrow evening and that I should remember the promise I made. She also said that I must decide not with my heart but Hinata's which would help set things in motion and that Hinata will need the help of a clan to face dangers ahead and find what she has been missing" Hiashi said calling the kitchen and asking someone to bring drinks and some snacks.

"So you knew that this was going to happen to me?" Hinata asked waving her hand around her, Kurai, and Naruto. Hiashi shook his head.

"Not at the beginning I didn't because I dismissed the dream as nothing more than that…a dream. Until I started hearing rumors about the storm being some kind of sign because it rarely stormed like that in Konoha then when Kurai and I had our little sparring match I knew that dream meant something and started to see things differently."

There was a knock on the door and Kurai disappeared as a servant came in and set the drinks and snacks on the table. When they left, Kurai returned as if nothing happened.

"That's the reason why I need you to stay at Naruto's place for a couple of days so I don't have council asking me questions about Kurai's existence" Hiashi said sighing as he walked over to where Hanabi was lying down. "And also so that Hanabi doesn't try and hurt you for losing the position as heiress. She was strong but she lacked understanding and compassion which would have made her a hard heiress to get along with. While you're staying with Naruto, the Hokage and I decided to look for research on any incidents similar to what happened to you, Hinata."

Looking at them, he dismissed Naruto by saying, "Naruto, right now I need a moment with Hinata, Kurai, and Neji. I'm going to need their help convincing Hanabi about Kurai. Hinata and Kurai will then stay with you today, tomorrow and the next day until the house is done." Nodding, Naruto kisses Hinata and Kurai on the cheek, nods to Neji, and heads for home to get his house ready for Hinata and Kurai's stay. Naruto quickly heads home to notice…that his house is a mess.

'_How did I live in this?'_ Naruto thought as he looked around at dirty clothes, old ramen packages, and trash everywhere. Kyuubi thankfully kept his comments to himself as Naruto created several shadow clones and begin to clean up. Before too long, the house was clear of trash and dirty clothes. Putting his clothes in the washer, he plopped down on his bed, looking at the wall. He then listened to the rest of his clones wash the dishes, open the window to let the dust out, clean the floors, and other things to prepare for his guests.

"I'm so tired…" he muttered as he remembered he was watching Hinata and Kurai sleep all night as he didn't want to leave them. Then the lunch break attack and learning about Hiashi-sama's dream physically and mentally wore him out. Sighing, he made his body get up and check the refrigerator which held only an old carton of milk. Mumbling something about needing to go buy food Naruto chunk the milk out with the trash, grabbed his frog wallet full of money, and headed to the grocery store leaving his clones to finish cleaning up. As he walked down the aisles, picking up everything from rice to Ramune, he met Kurenai in the produce isle.

"I'm happy to see you eating something healthy for once" Kurenai said noticing the basket full of different foods.

"Well, it not just for me, I wanted something good for Hinata-chan and Kurai-chan for when their staying at my house for the next three days. I still have a few more things to pick up, later Kurenai-sensei" Naruto said completely oblivious to Kurenai's stare as she watched him go down the aisle and into the next one.

'…_I think I need to have a talk with Hinata about Naruto and when did he start treating her like a queen._' she thought as she grimaced, the baby kicking her as she walked home. After buying a few more items, Naruto then headed home to a sparklingly clean house. Nodding in approval he got rid of his clones as he started putting the groceries away. After that task was done he took a short nap to replenish some of his energy. A little while late Naruto woke up refresh and decided to go see how Hinata and Kurai were doing. As he walked to the door, he noticed the box with Hinata's gift inside it and put it away in his bag, saying he will give it to her soon. Leaving his apartment, Naruto headed back towards the manor to find Hinata and Kurai. Along the way he spotted Neji, who was coming from the dango shop with a dango in one hand, tea in the other hand … and a large patch on the side of his right cheek.

"What happened to you?" Naruto asked, never seeing Neji hurt that badly before.

"Hanabi" is all that he said as he made his way back home.

"She hit you?" Naruto said shocked that she was able to actually hit him hard enough to leave a bruise. Neji nodded, saying "she went ballistic when she found out the truth and tried to attack Kurai. Kurai took her down before she could get in the first hit. I tried restraining her after she tried to attack Hinata next, but she instead turned on me and punched me in the cheek, and tried to hurt me until Hiashi-sama disabled her arms and pulled her away from me."

"Wow" Naruto said.

"It really surprised oji-san because Hanabi is usually quiet, polite, and respectful…when others are around. However, when it's just me and Hinata, she shows her true side of being mean, smug, and a cold-hearted bit-person" Neji said with bitterness in his voice.

"Is Hinata-chan and Kurai-chan all right?" Naruto asked noticing they were nearing the Hyuuga Manor.

"Yea, they're fine. They're training with Hinata's team at the training ground near here" Neji said stopping a little ways away in fear of eavesdroppers.

"Thanks, Neji" Naruto said as he quickly made his way to the training grounds. At the training ground Naruto spotted Kurai sparring with Kiba as Hinata trained with Shino. Not wanting to interrupt them Naruto secretly hides behind a tree ironically in the same manner Hinata used to spy on Naruto whenever she watched him train. Hinata had just used her special version of 'Rotation' when a sound coming from Kiba caught his attention. Hearing a yelp Naruto turned his head in time to see Kiba meet a chakra wall created by Kurai and go flying back onto the ground. Naruto covered his mouth in a chuckle as he saw Kurai flip her hair and look down on Kiba who had a doggy grin on his face.

"I know you there, Naruto-kun you can come out now" Hinata said, her byakugan activated and seeing him hiding behind the tree. When Naruto came out, Kiba let out a bark of a laugh as he said that Naruto was hiding just like Hinata would when she watched him trained. While Kurai helped Kiba up off the ground, Naruto gave Hinata a quick kiss before looking over at Kurai, who just gave her two finger salute in his direction.

"My apartment is clean and ready for whenever you want to move in" Naruto said shyly feeling weird in saying those words to anybody. Nodding, Hinata asked Kiba and Shino if they could take her bag with some clothes and ninja tools in it and deliver it to Naruto's house.

"What about Kurai's things?" Kiba asked and that when they realized that Kurai didn't have any other clothing. So she said that they would go shopping first, then go to Naruto's apartment after they were done. Agreeing, Naruto gave them the key and told them to leave it under the mat when they were finished delivering Hinata's things. Both groups went into separate directions, Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru to go retrieve Hinata's bag while Naruto, Hinata, and Kurai went to the nearest clothing store to buy Kurai some outfits; some for missions and some for casual wear. After buying all she would need and paying for it with the Hyuuga credit card, including a new backpack with a cat design for Kurai who gave Hinata the fox one, they were heading back to Naruto's apartment. As they were nearing _Ichiraku Ramen_, Naruto saw his former teacher, Iruka-sensei, going into their favorite ramen shop.

"Hey, do you two want to get some ramen before going home?" Naruto asked really wanting to see Iruka again. Both girls smiled, knowing the other reason why he wanted to stop, agreed.

"I'm actually quite hungry" Hinata said as the smell of the cooked noodles wafted towards them.

"Fine with me I actually like the taste of _Ichiraku Ramen_" Kurai answered already heading towards the shop. Laughing lightly, Hinata and Naruto quickly caught up with her as she entered through the flap guarding the door.

"Hey Teuchi oyajisan, hey Ayame-san, hey Iruka-sensei" Naruto called out as he, Hinata, and Kurai sat next to Iruka, Naruto on his left with Hinata and Kurai on his right.

"Oh hello Naruto, Hinata and Kurai" Iruka said as he greeted each person with a smile. "So how are you doing Naruto, ladies?" Iruka asked remembering how Hinata looked at the hospital the other day.

"We're good" they all answered at the same time after they ordered their ramen. When the ramen came, Naruto thanked the old man and begin to eat his ramen at a semi-normal pace, shocking Iruka, who knew the blonde to slurp down ramen faster than it was made.

"Are you sure you okay, Naruto?" Iruka asked concerned heard in his voice. After Naruto finished his bowl of ramen, he started laughing, saying that he 'needed to learn manners when around Hinata and Kurai since they were living with him until the house was done.'

"Then I'm moving in with them" Naruto said ordering another bowl of ramen as Hinata and Kurai finished theirs and did the same. Iruka was surprised at how much Naruto had grown over the years and acting more mature and…loving as he fed Hinata his spiral fishcake off the top of his ramen. Giggling, Hinata then fed him some ramen and lick a piece off his lips earning an "aww" from Ayame who was watching. Smiling, Iruka got up and was about to pay for his ramen when Naruto snagged the bill and paid for Iruka's, his, Hinata's, and Kurai's ramen. As they were leaving, Iruka told Naruto to be careful and he said always as they made their way back to Naruto's apartment. Looking under the mat, Naruto found the key and opened the door.

"Sorry it's smaller than what you're used to." Naruto said suddenly feeling guilty that he couldn't afford something bigger.

"Actually, this is quite comfy to me for I usually stick to my room anyway because all that space makes me feel small and unnoticed" Hinata said looking around Naruto's apartment with glee.

"I like it. It suits you well and has a homey feeling" Kurai said as she sat her backpack down by the door. Naruto swiftly picked up her and Hinata's bags off the floor and took them to his room.

"It's okay, I got space in my drawers for your things" he said placing Hinata and Kurai's clothes into two drawers of his dresser. After Naruto put the clothes away, he looked at Hinata and Kurai who were sitting on the bed relaxing. "So…what do we do now? It's still too early to turn in to bed now" Naruto asked feeling awkward since he never had guest over. Just then, Naruto noticed a letter on the floor by the dresser. Picking it up, he opened and read it out loud. "Meet at the training grounds from that night. I have information you might find interesting. Bring your girlfriend and her clone with you and only them. I'm going to guess Kiba and Shino didn't leave this note" Naruto said in an obvious way.

"It must have been from the person I saw that night" Kurai stated joining Naruto to look at the letter.

"Should we tell someone?" Hinata said then thought about it.

"Maybe not, it will only cause more trouble and I don't want to be put on watch" Hinata said standing next to Naruto and Kurai_. _

'_**Doesn't matter on that part, you three are already being watched'**_ Kyuubi thought laughing at the irony of it all. Sighing, Naruto said he bet Tsunade baa-chan already had somebody watching their every move, so getting to the training grounds will be difficult.

"How bout we go out for cinnamon buns and dangos at the Dango Shop and then figure out whom and how many people are tailing us?" Hinata suggested as she grabbed her bag and filled it with ninja tools, money, and the first aid kit. Agreeing, the other two followed suit and the trio were soon walking down the street. As they neared the dango shop they slowed down and went inside. Eating their treats outside, Hinata and Kurai activated their byakugan, secretly looking around, trying to see who was watching them.

'_Kyuubi, can you help us out?'_ Naruto asked mentally when they said that they must be staying blending in with the crowd and they couldn't find anybody.

"**Why should I help you brat, it's not it's going to help me escape through this stupid seal so NO" **Kyuubi said angrily as he backed away into his cage.

'_Why you baka kitsu-…PLEASE help me' _Naruto mentally said eye twitching a bit as he had to beg to the fox in the cage who sneered back at him.

"**Wow, you actually asked nicely somebody mark the time and date**" Kyuubi said sarcastically, fueling Naruto with his chakra. **"Alright I'll help you this time… put your arms around the girls and imagine fueling them with my chakra. It will heighten their senses and make their byakugan stronger to the point that they will be able to pinpoint who stand outs." **

'_There won't be any side-effects like you being able to control them or them turning evil right?' _Naruto asked glaring at the Kyuubi in his cage. The Kyuubi just laughed and smiled evilly at how protective Naruto was of Hinata and Kurai.

"**No side-effects like that the only thing that they will be able to do is sense my chakra easier whenever you use it. That's it"** Kyuubi said backing away in his cage.

'_**The brat is acting like a male fox protecting his mate from a rival fox, which in a way is what he should be doing'**_Kyuubi thought as he smirked at the real reason why he was helping them.

'_**Now I'll see if my suspicion about her is correct.' **_

Naruto put his arms around both girls as he chewed on the dango stick in his mouth.

"I have a plan" he whispered as they started walking around. "I'm going to channel some special chakra I received at birth to you both and I want you two to use your byakugan again and see if anything seems out of the ordinary" Naruto said as he started sending the Kyuubi's chakra through the two girls. Both girls gasped as they felt the warm chakra enter their bodies and spread through them like wild fire. Then they both used the byakugan again and spotted their watchers.

"I count 5 ANBU, two of them behind, catching up quickly, one is in front of us, and the last two are sticking to the rooftops" Hinata and Kurai said deactivating their eyes. Naruto stop fueling them chakra and put his arms down when he suddenly heard a sound come from the Kyuubi.

'_Hey Kyuubi what the heck is wrong with you?'_ Naruto asked looking into the cage but not seeing anything in the darkness. _'Kyuubi where are you, you better answer or-'_ Just then a red-orange tail came forward and tried to swat at him until he moved back in time.

"**I'm here brat and no I didn't escape now leave me the hell alone" **the Kyuubi said from way back in his jail as the tail retreated.

'_Alright you crazy nine tailed furball'_ Naruto said mentally as he came back to the real world.

"**So my suspicions were correct"** Kyuubi said as he looked at the being which was in the jail cell with him.

"_Yes and the next time you try to take control of Hinata or Kurai you won't live long enough to regret it. Now to make up for what you tried to do I want you to start helping Naruto and prepare him for what's going to happen soon and maybe Inari will go easy on you. Hope we never have to meet again."_ a voice said before disappearing making the Kyuubi blink and think about what he just found out and the threat ushered onto him.

'_**It seems I have no choice for I know she can make good of her promise so be happy you chose the right girl Naruto.'**_

While Naruto was mentally checking on the Kyuubi, he missed the look on Hinata face as the Kyuubi's chakra instead of disappearing was absorbed with her own. _'That was weird?'_ she thought as she shook off the feeling.

"So how are we going to get pass them all?" Hinata ask looking at Naruto who seemed to be deep in thought. Turning to Kurai, he asked her if she could teleport them away to the training grounds. Kurai right then blinked slowly and looked at him with a smile on her face.

"How about we try Hinata's new ability?" Kurai said the smile still etched on her face.

"Huh?" Naruto and Hinata said staring at Kurai who just looked forward. Hinata then gasped as she felt a weird sensation, like the time she was in the hospital take over her as her body involuntarily started gathering chakra all over.

"What…how?" Hinata asked as she looked at Kurai while Naruto sprouted a confused look on his face. Hinata then heard a voice in her head say, _'gather the chakra throughout your body and imagine it thinning almost to the point of being invisible, along with your body. Now just like Naruto did with his chakra you fuel it through him and Kurai will too'_the voice said leaving as she did the same and grabbed Naruto's hand while Hinata grabbed the other. Naruto felt both girls chakra course through him and he began to feel lighter and noticed that both girls were becoming faint.

"Don't talk until we get to the grounds" Kurai whispered as she, Naruto, and Hinata disappeared right in front of the ANBU's eyes…um, masks. The trio quickly moved over to the side as the ANBU quickly gathered at the spot they were just at. Nodding in the direction of the training grounds, they kept their hands together and stealthily made their way through the crowd as the ANBU disappeared, most likely to tell Tsunade what happened.

"Let's get going because I know baa-chan will guess where we headed so let's beat her there" Naruto said quietly, getting a quick nod as they hurried to the training grounds. Just as they made it to the grounds, they heard a loud "NANI!" come from the Hokage's office. The group became visible and started laughing as they imagined the ANBU cowering in fear in front of Tsunade's temper. They then headed to one of the training post which held another note attached to it.

"Meet at the opening where it all began" is all that is written on the note.

"Might as well go, unless someone wants to explain to Hokage-Tsunade how we disappeared and why we're here" Kurai said already jumping through the trees with Naruto and Hinata on her tail. As they neared the clearing, they heard some commotion far behind them that they guess was Tsunade looking for them. The group giggled as they leaped into the clearing where someone was waiting.

"Wow, I'm surprised you came alone, all though I think someone realized you three are missing" the voice of Kisame said, smiling his toothy grin. Cursing, Naruto created 5 shadow clones, two of them to protect Hinata and Kurai, Hinata activated her byakugan and got into a fighting stance, and Kurai just looked at Kisame.

"You're the one I saw that night." Kurai simply stated looking at the shark man with a blank look on her face.

"Yea I remember you and I'm not here to fight nor capture you or your girlfriends, Naruto" Kisame said looking at him, Hinata, and Kurai.

"Then what do you want?" he said noticing the sounds in the distance coming closer.

"Since I hear your pursuers coming, I'll make it quick. I need your help with a friend of mine. He's not acting right and hasn't since the night of the weird girl with the wings. So will you help?" Kisame said starting to back up so he could escape if they didn't answer in time. Looking at each other, Kurai with an interested look on her face thought that they should trust him. Hearing the sounds of footsteps they realized they ran out of time and answered quickly.

"Lead the way" they said as they followed Kisame deep in the forest, hearing voices calling them as they made their way to wherever Kisame was taking them. As they ran behind him, Naruto and Hinata were both thinking the same thing, _'I hope we made the right choice in following him.'_ They continued to follow him until they were taken to a cave hidden by the tree's shadows, where more surprises were about to be revealed.


	6. The Side You Never Knew

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

_Chapter Four-The side you never knew_

Me: Revenge is best served sweet…with a side of embarrassment.

Kisame: What do you mean by that?

Itachi: I think she means that something bad is going to happen to somebody in this chapter.

Me: Oh hey Itachi, so Sasuke went back to Madara, huh?

Itachi: (nods head)

Me: Okay, don't worry he will be back and you are right something bad will happen to somebody in the chapter.

Kisame: Who? (Glaring) You still not mad about what happened in chapter 3 are you?

Me: No, of course not. Now let's get on with the chapter. 

Itachi and Kisame: (walks off)

Me: *evil smile* Better watch your back, Kisame. *Disappears*

As they entered the cave, they heard the sounds of footsteps growing louder and then fading as their pursers ran pass them. Stepping away from the cave's entrance, the four looked towards the back of the cave that was pitch-black without any source of light. The only thing that could be seen was a charm carved into the stone wall of the cave that seemed to give off a dim glow.

'_That's must be what is protecting the cave from being seen.'_ Hinata thought as she tried to see anything ahead but darkness.

"You expect us to follow you in the dark?" Naruto said disbelief shown on his face as he looked up at Kisame. Giving Naruto an agitated look he cursed loudly feeling his way against the wall.

"I told him not to let the flame die out or I wouldn't be able to see anything when I got back." Kisame muttered trying not to trip over anything in the dark. After almost falling twice he gave up and came back to the cave opening. Smiling sheepishly he asked the trio if anyone of them knew a fire or lightning jutsu or something to light up the cave. Kurai just scoff at the S-ranked criminal as she held her hand out.

"_Demon style: Cat Ghost Fire"_ she simply said as she gathered a small amount of chakra in her hand and created a bluish-purple flame right above her palm. Hinata and Naruto were intrigued by the flame and Kisame even manage to look impressed.

"Hey Gills, lead the way already" as Kurai made the flame bigger and lighting a small path in front of them.

Looking at Kurai who gave him the weird nickname, he just sighed and started walking ahead with Kurai beside him followed by Hinata and Naruto. Avoiding rocks as they went deeper into the cave, they finally reached the back, realizing the cave was a lot bigger than it looked from the entrance. Kisame stopped suddenly, followed by Kurai, Hinata, and Naruto who then noticed the outline of a body lying on a futon next to a dying fire, where only the embers could still be seen. Kisame stepped over the body, grabbed some firewood, and through some on the dying flame as Kurai grabbed a piece, lit it on fire, and through it back onto the wood causing the fire to grow larger suddenly. The fire that was lighting the cave had woken up the person sleeping on the ground. Hearing movement, Hinata and Naruto move to stand next to Kurai as they watched the body stir and move the blanket, covering him, off. That's when Naruto saw the jet black hair and onyx eyes of Uchiha Itachi as he sat up yawning and blinking from the bright blue flames. Naruto took a protective step back, believing Itachi to be dead, and in case he needed to run back to the cave entrance. Kisame looked at Naruto and his stance.

"I told you we're not here to capture you…yet. All we wanted was to see her" Kisame said pointing a finger at Kurai who seemed very interested in Itachi all of a sudden.

"She's here, Kisame?" Itachi asked as he eyes adjusted to the bright light and he looked up at his former partner.

"Right behind you, actually" Kisame said staring at Kurai as if ordering her to do something. Standing up, Itachi sat on a rock and turned to look at Kurai who moved closer to the flame so he could get a better view.

'_There's something different about Itachi… besides the fact that he shouldn't be alive.'_ Naruto thought as he stared at the Uchiha wondering what was out of place.

"**His sharingan isn't activated."** Kyuubi stated and then went back to being quiet surprising Naruto that he told him what was wrong as he usually ignored his thoughts. Naruto looked at Itachi's face and realized that's what was different about him. When Itachi turned his attention to Hinata, he growled menacingly and stood in front of her as if to protect her from his gaze. Itachi then looked into Naruto's eyes with surprise and wonder as Naruto growled out, "if you so much as look at them wrong, I won't hesitate to kill you." That's when Kisame chuckled at Naruto's threat and walked towards them giving him his sharp teeth smile.

"We're not scared of some little kid who failed to do the one thing he promised so many times to so many people…to bring back the brother of Itachi, Sasuke. Where is he, Naruto?" Kisame said in a taunting voice as Naruto back down remembering that he was no match for an S-ranked criminal let alone two of them by himself. Hinata, on the other hand, believe she was because right after the those words let the grinning shark's mouth, Kisame felt himself being lifted off his feet and being blown back into the wall, caught off guard by Hinata's _Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm_. As Kisame was sliding down the wall, Naruto started laughing as Hinata grinned, happy she cheered Naruto up and put Kisame in his place, while Kurai continued to look at Itachi with an intrigued look on her face. As Itachi watched Kisame slide down the wall, he just shook his head and stood up again.

"You do realize you deserved that right, Kisame?" Itachi said as he bent down to pick up the blanket and wrap himself in it. Looking at the blue-purple fire with curiosity, he then turned his attention back to the trio eyes lingering on Kurai, when he stated more than asked, "So it wasn't a genjutsu then."

Kisame let out a groan as he rubbed his head and stood up glaring at Hinata who still had a soft smile when Naruto growled and reminded Kisame of his threat. Kisame opened his mouth to say something else that would most likely get him hurt again was cut off Itachi. "Enough Kisame" he said giving him a look that made his shut his mouth but not before sending another glare towards Hinata.

"I'm going to guess you're the one Kisame was talking about." Naruto said ignoring Kisame's mutter of "obviously" as he looked at Itachi who was standing near the fire. "My biggest question is how you are here because last I heard Sasuke killed you." Naruto said hearing gasp from Hinata and Kurai.

"…I don't truthfully know how, but I did die when I battled Sasuke not by his hand though but the illness that was already killing me." Itachi stated continuing to stare at the fire. He then gave a recap of what happened over two weeks ago up until the night of the clearing even mentioning how he saw Hinata trained causing her to blush at being caught voicing her true thoughts. "It's the night at the clearing that I still wondering about. What was that girl and who was the boy that poked me like that?" Itachi asked, in his own little world of remembering that night.

"I remember the girl said that she was a '_hanyo_' or half demon who came to help me…I guess she did." Hinata said looking at Kurai who was having a glaring contest with Kisame. "But I didn't see a boy or anybody else when I used my byakugan. What did he look like?"

Itachi then described the boy and his weird Kakashi trade-mark of covering one eye plus the questions and stuff he said.

"What medicine?" Kisame asked not hearing that part of the story.

"The medicine I took that somehow got rid of my illness. The boy asked if I took it and when I nodded he said good and that it will help. He also said that I would soon be rewarded for all I done then he poked me."

"What was so special about a poke?" Naruto asked, confused why Itachi made a big deal about being poke unless he hated people touching him.

"It's the way he did it and the effects of it as he poked me in the same manner I used to poke Sasuke when we were little" Itachi said ushering Naruto forward and doing the poke on him to demonstrate it.

"Hey, that hurt" Naruto said rubbing the spot below his forehead. Chuckling at how similar Naruto acted like Sasuke, he went back to explaining how after the boy poked him, he started glowing and he had the ability to reactivate his sharingan and use his genjutsu without straining his eyes.

"You mean you couldn't use the sharingan when you first woke up?" Kurai asked, seeming interested in Itachi's story.

"No. After I passed my powers over to Sasuke, I was blind and later died and felt like I was floating until I felt my body become heavy and I woke up in the cave. I found supplies and the medicine in the bag with a note, which it told me to burn. Whatever was in that medicine, it basically cured my illness but I guess my sharingan was unaffected due to me giving the power over to Sasuke. After the poke and I was covered with that weird light, I felt my sharingan become active once again and my illness completely disappear. "I decided not to keep it activated all the time because I've been given a second chance and I don't want to waste it" he said looking at the group before him made up of Naruto, Hinata, and Kurai. Kisame, who was sitting on a nearby rock, spoke up by saying,

"That's why I need your help. I know Itachi is capable of taking care of himself and all, but I want you three to watch over him since he is connected to you through the clearing. I have to get back to the Akatuski and report my mission and make up an excuse as to why I'm late."

The gang then looked at Itachi.

"I'm not going back to the Akatuski because I'm not needed there anymore now that Madara has Sasuke, plus they believe me to be dead."

"I already watched over him for the past two days and need someone to make sure that he doesn't get sick again. I believe the boy cured him, but I don't know if it's permanent so can I ask you three to take care of him?" Kisame asked actually looking concerned which surprised the trio. Looking at Itachi, they saw his sad eyes as they pondered what to do until Hinata mentioned about him killing his family. "

I can't blame him if his family was as strict and crazy as ours" Kurai muttered as Itachi stared at them. Sighing, Itachi then told them the truth about why he did that and why he did all he did to Sasuke.

"Wow, yours was crazier" Kurai said as she looked at Hinata and Naruto who seem to be deep in thought. There was silence for about a minute as they thought if it was wise to watch over Itachi. Looking at each other and then at Itachi, they nodded all in agreement and said that they would take care of him. Kisame nodding, relief shown all over his face, as he grabbed his sword, the extra Akatuski cloak, and headed out through the forest and back to the Akatuski base. As Kisame was leaving, he looked back and said,

"If we meet again in the future, Itachi" Kisame said leaving his former partner behind to the care of the three ninjas. As Kisame left, Naruto, Kurai, and Hinata sat on the rocks staring at the fire and wondering what to do next. As they stood to leave, somebody's stomach growled loudly in the quiet cave.

"…are you hungry, Itachi-san?" Hinata ask as she realized the sound came from him. Standing up, he grabbed the backpack full of supplies and opened it looking for food.

"…Yes. I just realized I'm out of food since Kisame ate all of it while I was sleep I bet." Itachi sigh closing the bag and carrying it over one shoulder. "Looks like it's time for me to go back into town" he said making his way to the cave entrance.

"Wait…how did you go through the town without being caught?" Naruto asked quickly catching up to Itachi with the two kunoichi behind him.

"Whoever gave me the bag, gave me a set of clothes that hides the wearer's scent and chakra signature as long as they use very little chakra while wearing it" Itachi informed the group stopping right in front of the charm embedded in the wall.

"It would be better if you could use your chakra" Hinata thought out loud as she imagined a jutsu that would help Itachi use his chakra but still be able to stay hidden to the ANBU. Hinata then felt the same warm feeling that always seem to take place before something weird happened. Gasping, she let the feeling take over, spreading quickly as Kurai seemed to be feeling the same thing.

"What's going on?" Itachi asked quietly noticing both girls suddenly withdraw within themselves.

"I believe it's some kind of power they both have. I saw it happen several times already" Naruto said quickly explaining what happened over the last two days. Kurai and Hinata focused as they mind-linked with each other.

"Hinata just learned a new jutsu called the demon illusion. Hinata decided to call it the fox illusion based on the myth of kitsune being able to change forms" Kurai said missing the look Itachi and Naruto sent to each other. "We're going to need you help with this Naruto." Kurai says looking at him.

'_Kuso, do they know about Kyuubi?'_

"Since you have the largest chakra capacity it will be easier for you to help us" Hinata finished looking at Itachi who just stood there. "Do you have something we can fuel chakra to that you can wear?" Hinata asked just as Itachi took off his hitai-ate and handed it to her.

"Will this do?" Itachi asked as Hinata took the protector from her hand. Nodding, she asked Naruto to draw some chakra to his hand and make a cut so a few drops will run over the protector. Naruto instantly felt the Kyuubi's chakra course through him without asking as he did as Hinata instructed. Cutting his palm he watch as a trickle of blood formed before the skin started to heal again and let the blood drip over the leaf symbol of the hitai-ate as Hinata made an unusual one hand seal and said _"Demon style: Fox Illusion"_. The blood then begin to be absorbed into the symbol on the protector and take on an eerie glow, which soon disappeared and Itachi was handed back his protector.

"Let's try it out" Kurai said as she activated her byakugan while Itachi re-tied his hitai-ate back in place. Kurai then gave a nod and deactivated her eyes as she told them that his chakra was hidden and a false one was set to take its place. "You can now use your chakra more freely since this isn't an ordinary ninjutsu or genjutsu. The jutsu is way stronger than a genjutsu and it can't be expelled except by the one who cast it. Also if your hitai-ate comes off, it will still work up to an hour without it, although I suggest you keep it close to you." Kurai stated as she made her way out the cave, followed by the rest.

"How did you learn to use demon style?" Itachi ask as they started walking back to the village. As Kurai was about to answer, they all felt a killing aura up ahead that made them stop in their tracks.

"I'll tell you after we get pass "Busty" Kurai said as she grabbed his arm. "I'm going to go ahead and teleport Itachi into town, you two go invisible and sneak pass her" Kurai told Naruto and Hinata who nodded in agreement. As Kurai and Itachi disappeared, Hinata took Naruto's hand and started to fuel him with her thinning chakra.

'_I wonder if I'm able to learn it too or maybe you need excellent chakra control.'_ Naruto thought as they turned invisible.

"**I'll teach you later"** Kyuubi responded to Naruto's question and remained silent. Wondering what was wrong with the fox and why he was being so helpful all of sudden, Naruto quietly, with Hinata, made their way back to the training ground to find one very angry Tsunade, Kakashi, and his ninja hounds talking.

"He couldn't have just disappeared in thin air. He doesn't have that ability yet" Tsunade was yelling a vein in her temple could be seen as she talked to Kakashi.

"Maybe he figured out you was having him tailed and used a shadow clone to get some 'privacy'." Pakkun said as the rest of the pack barked in agreement.

"Naruto isn't that kind of kid, although he might have pulled this stunt so the ANBU would leave them alone. I did say that it might not be a good idea to have them follow him and the girls everywhere" Kakashi said looking at Tsunade who was frowning at how right he was.

"I know but where could they have gone and why in this direction? Did they go back to the clearing, but why?" Tsunade was asking herself out loud a worried look on her face.

"Maybe they thought going back to the clearing would make them remember something. I think they knew they were being followed and ditched the ANBU so they could go in peace. I bet while we were looking for them they already went back home or something." Kakashi said, thanking the dogs who then disappeared back to their realm. Tsunade just nodded and made her way back to Konoha with Kakashi, who didn't realize that Naruto and Hinata were right behind them, trying hard not to giggle at the irony of them sneaking up on a jonin and the Hokage. As the duo disappeared, Hinata and Naruto stayed invisible until they got to a shaded alley and Hinata stopped thinning her chakra. Smiling, Naruto and Hinata found Itachi and Kurai who was making their way to Naruto's apartment. Kurai told them she was taking Itachi back to the cave and staying there until the morning, then she would poof them to Naruto's house. Nodding, Hinata and Naruto walked them to Naruto's house where Kurai grabbed the extra futon out of the closet and disappeared with Itachi. As they got ready for bed, they agreed to let Itachi live with them until the house in the woods was finished and he could live there until he started a new life, literally.

_*the next morning*_

Naruto and Hinata woke up to Kurai and Itachi fixing and eating breakfast in the kitchen. Telling them the plan, they agreed and Kurai went to get Itachi's futon and backpack while they got ready for the day.

"You know you going to have to face Hokage Tsunade today, right?" Kurai said returning after a few minutes with Itachi's things. Sighing, they nodded as they grabbed their bags and was heading for the door.

"Kurai, can you stay here with Itachi until we get back, also try to stay away from the windows, Itachi-san, just in case the ANBU are spying on my house" Naruto said as they were opening the door. Nodding in response, Itachi and Kurai cleaned up the dishes while Naruto and Hinata left to join their teams at the Academy. Meeting at the Academy, everybody asked where Kurai was at, answering that she stayed home, when Tsunade came in. Giving missions to all the teams, she informed Naruto and Hinata that they won't be joining their teams this time. Surprising everybody when Naruto accepted it without an argument, Tsunade combined Sakura with Shino and Kiba while Sai was to stay behind in Konoha. While the teams were leaving, Tsunade asked Hinata and Naruto to stay, saying she had questions. Knowing what she was going to ask they waited till all the teams left to explain their disappearance yesterday. They explained the disappearance saying they felt like they were being watched and didn't know if it was an enemy so Naruto used shadow clones and a henge to look like them. Then went back to the clearing to find some clues but didn't find anything so they went back home. Tsunade, who accepted the answer, although it looked like she didn't fully believe it, said that they were dismissed.

"That was close. I think we better lie low for a while, it's a good thing we had Itachi stay with us" Naruto said as he and Hinata started walking back to his apartment.

"I think we better call him by the fake name he has when we're outside, because we don't want anybody to know yet" Hinata whispered as they passed by crowds of people enjoying their day.

"You're right, so let's inform them and then I'm taking you out on a date later" Naruto said smiling as they neared his apartment. Holding hands, they entered the apartment and told Itachi and Kurai what happened. Later that evening, after eating lunch and going to buy more clothes for Itachi, Naruto decided to take Hinata out. Itachi and Kurai, who agreed to lie low, stayed at home while Naruto took Hinata out on a date like he promised. Naruto took Hinata out for dinner at _Ichiraku Ramen _and to the _Dango Shop_ for cinnamon buns (and dangos for Kurai and Itachi), then headed over to the park, where they were sitting on a bench while Naruto fed her the sticky buns. They watched the little kids be carried away after a long day of playing as the sun was setting in front of them.

'_This date has been perfect'_ they both were thinking as they share a kiss and watch the sun fall and the moon rise.

"**I think it's time to give her the necklace, Kit."** Kyuubi says softly not wanting to ruin the moment Naruto has with Hinata. Nodding in agreement, he reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out the box. Smiling at the chibi fox print, Hinata opens her gift to find two silver heart-shaped necklaces lying inside the box. On the necklaces were two red foxes looking up at a full moon with their tails intertwined.

"It's beautiful Naruto-kun. Thank you" Hinata said tears forming at the corners of her eyes as Naruto pull one of the necklaces out and putt it around her neck. Doing the same, Hinata picks up the second necklaces and places it around his neck. "It's beautiful on you Naruto-kun" Hinata says sitting in Naruto's lap and snuggling closer to him.

"You make it more beautiful, Hinata-chan." Naruto says smiling as they watch the sun dip over the horizon.

Sakura: Aw, that's so adorable.

Me: …you're complimenting my work, really?

Ino: Yea, but I have one question to ask you?

Me: Ok. What is it?

Sakura and Ino: Are you going to draw my scene with Sasuke-kun like that?

Me: …uh-

Sakura and Ino: What do you mean YOUR scene? Sasuke-kun is mine. (Start arguing)

Me: *backs away* Ok. It's time for me to get back to the plot of the story before I have more than two angry Sasuke-obsessed kunoichi after me next. *runs off*

When the night started to get cold, Naruto and Hinata made their way back home where Itachi and Kurai had just finish eating dinner. Handing them the bag full of the sweet dumplings, Naruto and Hinata then went to get ready for bed as everybody had already done so.

"**Naruto, did you feed my chakra through the necklace like I told you?" **Kyuubi asked sounding more relaxed instead of his roaring voice.

'_Yea, Kyuubi I did, what was the point of that anyway?' _Naruto asked as he changed in the bathroom, letting Hinata have privacy changing in his room.

"**She will now be able to use my chakra if she ever is in danger. You can also find her if you're separated, no matter how far, and her wounds will heal faster if she uses my chakra. So basically, she has the same abilities as you, although not as strong, but I will still be inside you Kit. Also I will teach you how to use demon style tomorrow" **Kyuubi explained as Naruto finished changing and came out of the bathroom.

'_Why are you doing this, Kyuubi? You've been acting weird lately. I mean you haven't yelled at me once, try and trick me to use your chakra even willing gave it to me, and then said you would train me some new jutsus…are you sick, dying, or possessed?'_ Naruto asked but not getting a response so he let it be for now. Naruto gave Hinata and Kurai his bed, while Itachi slept on the futon from the cave and Naruto slept on the couch, since his apartment wasn't really big enough to fit four people, waiting for tomorrow to arrive.

_*the next day*_

The day was uneventful as they woke up, ate, and train (Naruto learning to become invisible) until they had to go see about missions. All four left the apartment, Itachi went to buy supplies while Naruto and the girls went to see about missions, which they didn't have any today. Leaving the building, Hinata and Naruto joined their teams as Kurai went to find Itachi. As the teams went their separate ways, Kyuubi decided now was the time to talk.

"**Kit, since you have time right now, I'm going to teach you some demon style jutsus. The first one is called Demon style: Fox Fire and it's similar to what Kurai used the other day but this is used more attacking than lighting up a cave, although it can make a good flashlight" **Kyuubi said as they made their way towards the training ground they always go to.

'_Okay…but my element is wind, not fire, so how will that work?'_ Naruto asked not paying attention to one of his team-mate's rising temper.

"Hey Naruto, stop spacing out already we're going to train, not think about Hinata." Sakura said agitation in her voice.

"I know that and I wasn't thinking of Hinata-chan just now, I was thinking of-" Naruto started but was once again cut off by Sakura.

"Yea right, I know you were thinking about her because it's written all over your face. You better not be leading her own or I will put you in the hospital myself" Sakura said angrily, fueling chakra to her glove-clad hand in warning.

'_What did I see in her that made me like her?'_ he asked himself as he frowned at the pink-haired kunoichi.

"**That's a good question but one I don't think can be answered at this time. It seems that she not going to give you any peace to train, so instead of fox fire, I'll train you more on how to better your invisible jutsu like Hinata and Kurai did. Now remember, first you channel chakra throughout your body…"** Kyuubi then went on to explain how to become invisible and escape his team.

"**Although I suggest you wait till their ahead some before doing it as you don't want to give away your trump card yet." **

'_Good point, but they will realize that something is up if I just disappeared…I know' _Naruto grinned as they passed the trees of the training ground. "I'll be back. I got to pee" Naruto said quickly heading for the forest as Sakura, Sai, and Yamato watch him leave, a displeased look on Sakura's face.

"Hurry up, Naruto" she yelled out to the blonde. Using a little chakra to get some distance between them, he then made a shadow clone and quickly hid in the tree tops. _'Just as I suspected'_ Naruto thought when he noticed one of Sai's ink mice trailing after his clone. Naruto begin to fuel chakra throughout his body at a slow pace as not to get the mouse's attention. When chakra was coursing his body, he imagined it thinning to the point of being invisible along with his body. Noticing he was disappearing, he quietly made his way down the tree and fully disappeared just as his clone and Sai's drawing went pass him. Naruto and his clone then went back to the training grounds where the others were waiting.

"About time" Sakura said as she started walking away with Yamato, Sai, and his clone following her.

"**Good, now that they're gone let's go somewhere else to train before that pink haired kunoichi finds out that's not you."** Kyuubi suggested as Naruto quickly left the grounds and made his way through town.

'_Hey, how do I find Hinata? You said I could use the necklace, how do I do that?'_ Naruto asked as he headed in the direction Hinata's team went.

"**Channel a little chakra in it, and the female fox will glow the closer you get to her. When both foxes start glowing red that means she's nearby. You can use it and still stay invisible, however the other necklace will grow warm and glow too which can give her away so be quick about it." **

Nodding, Naruto started sending some of the thin chakra into the necklace making the male fox glowed brightly and the female glow just as bright as Naruto kept walking. When both foxes turned red, he stopped fueling chakra and looked around. He was in front of bookstore where he used to find "resource" for his sexy no jutsu.

'_Why am I here?'_ he thought as he turned visible and went inside. Looking around, he found Hinata, Kurai, and Itachi looking at books and scrolls. As if sensing him, Hinata looked up from the book she was looking at and noticed Naruto. Smiling, she waved him over to join the rest as she closed the book and held it in her hand.

"What are you doing here I thought you were with your team?" Naruto asked as he approached the group.

"I was but Kiba had to go help his mom and sister and Shino said something about bug observing, so I decided to find Kurai and "Yoru" and we found our way here" Hinata explained waving her hand around her. "What about you and your team?" Hinata asked going to pay for her new book with Itachi and Kurai right behind her.

"Uh- I sort of ditched them. Sakura-chan was being mean and I wanted to try out a similar jutsu Kurai used in the cave" Naruto said nervously hoping Hinata wouldn't be mad at him. Blinking, she just laughed softly while Kurai and Itachi gave him a knowing glance.

"Hey, Naruto, I truthfully can't blame you. "Pinky" is a hard person to be around with especially with her temper" Kurai said as they were making their way out of the bookstore.

"Yea she is-" is all Naruto got to say when he felt his shadow clone disperse. "Uh oh, Sakura knows I'm not there" Naruto said right before a loud cry of "NARUTO I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" was heard in the distance.

'_Crap, she going to pummel me. Quick what's the one place she would never find me?' _Naruto was thinking looking around for the angry pink-haired kunoichi.

"**Try the library, Kit. That's the last place anybody would think to look for you, even me."** Kyuubi snorted. Thanking the Kyuubi before realizing that last part, Naruto quickly channeled his chakra and turned invisible.

"Meet me at the library when you can" Naruto said in a hurry as he headed straight for the library, hearing the cries of his name getting louder. Laughing at how fast Naruto left, Hinata, Kurai, and Itachi started walking through the town when they all sensed the anger chakra of Sakura approaching them from behind.

"Here comes trouble…" Kurai muttered as they all turned around looking at Sakura whose fist was glowing with chakra.

"Where is he?" Sakura yelled to Hinata while people were trying to avoid the angry kunoichi who was looking around.

"If you mean Naruto-kun, I haven't seen him" Hinata said, spotting Yamato and Sai running towards them.

"I know he's around here somewhere, so where is he?" Sakura screamed making everybody around move out the way.

"She just said that Naruto-kun isn't here and if he was he'd been smart and ran when he heard you scream his name." Kurai muttered hands on her hips as she watches Sakura's temper flare. As soon as Yamato and Sai were close to reaching her, Sakura turned her attention to Itachi.

"You can't fool me, Naruto I know that's you, so prepare to meet the hospital" Sakura said, her glowing fist about to punch Itachi as Sai was pulling out his scroll and starting to draw.

"Wait a minute I'm not Naru-WHAM!"

The group watch as the figure flew back into the crowd, clearly knocked out. Shock was shown on Sai, Yamato, Hinata, and Itachi's face as Sakura was sent flying after she hit a chakra-infused field of air right in front of Itachi. The group then looked at Kurai, who had a murderous look in her eyes. Walking with an aura of power around her she stepped in front of Sai and Yamato who had shocked looks on their faces.

"I'll say it again Naruto-kun isn't here so stop harassing us. In fact I'm glad he managed to sneak past you three because if he was hurt by Sakura in any way, she would have to deal with TWO angry kunoichi so I suggest you take my advice and leaves us alone."

The aura of power slowly disappeared as Kurai walked back to the group as they started walking away. Looking back, Itachi watch as Yamato and Sai tied up Sakura with ink snakes and rush her to the hospital. As soon as they were out of sight, Hinata let out a breath and stretched as she walked.

"She must have trained with Hokage Tsunade because they both have that monstrous strength and short temper."

"Bad combination if you ask me" Kurai sighed as she looked at Itachi who seem to be deep in thought. "You okay, Itachi-kun?" Kurai asked when he didn't say a word since the Sakura incident.

"Everything is fine. Thank you for protecting me. How did Naruto-kun and my brother survive with her on the team?" Itachi wondered out loud as they made their way to the library.

"She only got that strong after Naruto left for his 3-year training trip with Jiraiya-sennin, also she likes Sasuke a lot" Hinata answered as they headed up the library stairs.

"More like obsessed with" Kurai muttered, as she opened the door and went inside with Hinata and Itachi behind her. Inside they found Naruto putting back a book he just read.

"Hey, I heard the commotion all the way here. What happened?" Naruto asked sitting down at one of the tables. After they filled Naruto in on what happened, he apologized to Itachi for making Sakura think he was him. Waving away the apology, Itachi and Kurai disappeared home to make dinner while Naruto and Hinata decided to pick up dessert. Buying dangos, onigirl, cinnamon buns, and a bowl of red bean soup they made their way back to the apartment where the smell of food wafted towards them through the door. Opening it, they found that Kurai had cooked beef donburi and was now placing the food on the table. After sitting down to eat the meal and enjoy the desserts they brought, everybody went to bed ready to face what tomorrow brought them.

_*the next morning*_

Everybody woke up to help Naruto pack all his things because he was to move in with Hinata and Kurai in the house prepared for them.

"You can stay too, Itachi-san" Hinata said who was finishing packing the dishes.

"It's deep in the forest, close enough to the Hyuuga Manor but far away to have privacy."

Thanking her for the hospitality, he agreed and said that he will help the movers with Naruto's things. Nodding, Hinata and Kurai then left for the meeting room to see if they had assignments today. Entering the room, they found everybody there except for Sakura and Tsunade. Everybody started asking what happened to Sakura because word had spread fast that she was in the hospital just then, the door opened to reveal Sakura and Tsunade entering the room. Sakura made her way to her team, where Naruto was hiding behind Yamato, and stood next to Sai not saying anything. Tsunade announced she had missions for Yamato's and Kakashi's team and that the rest were dismissed. As everybody left but the two teams, Tsunade called forth Hinata and Naruto, who was still hiding behind Yamato. Quickly making his way towards Tsunade, and avoiding Sakura, she told them that she trusted them enough to go on missions, however to try and keep Kurai in check. Hinata then explained what happened and Tsunade just nodded and asked Naruto how did he escape and where did he go. Naruto admitted he used a shadow clone to escape and then went to find Hinata but guess Sakura would look for him with her so he went to the library. Surprised at how clever he was, Tsunade gave them their missions and let them go on their way.

_*several hours later*_

Both teams returned at the same time, missions successful, as they started talking to each other. Sakura was still pretty quiet, not once yelling or threatening Naruto. When the teams made it back to the gate, they spotted Neji who seemed to be waiting for them.

"Naruto, Hinata-san, ojisan told me to find you and let you know the house is done and all Naruto things are moved in, with the help of your neighbor Yoru and I'm to show you where it is" Neji said looking at the pair as they approached. A sound was heard as Kurai suddenly appeared next to Neji with a big smirk on her face.

"I have to admit, the house is awesome I mean it's big and spacious and far away from the main house that we could throw a party and nobody would know it" Kurai said thinking about the party she could have in the house.

"Please, no parties, besides somebody would notice if a whole bunch of different people suddenly appeared on the Hyuuga property" Neji stated, lips twitching into a smile as he imagined being at the party Kurai was thinking of. Sighing, Kurai started walking away with Neji, Naruto, and Hinata right behind her to show them their new home. When they got there, they couldn't help but gasp at how perfect it was. It was a two-story four-bedroom house with a kitchen, dining area, living area, and entertainment room that had everything already set up. Smiling, they asked Neji to inform Hiashi that the house was perfect and that they were staying here now. Saying he would, Neji left them alone so they could get used to their new home.

"…so where is Itachi? Naruto asked looking around for the Uchiha.

"He said he was going home first to get a few things and that he will be right back."

No sooner had the words left Kurai's mouth that Itachi appeared in front of them, the backpack slung over his shoulder.

"This is a nice house, it's not too big and it's comfortable. Oh and I picked up take-out along the way, so let's eat" Itachi said placing the food on the table. Hinata then asked Naruto about Sakura's behavior.

"It's weird. She hasn't yelled or hit me all day in fact she hasn't really talked to me at all" Naruto responded.

"Hmm, maybe that was the first time she was actually struck back, and by her own attack too" Hinata said taking another bite of her meal.

"Heh, maybe now she knows what she puts Naruto and Sai through, I still can't believe she thought that Itachi-kun was Naruto" Kurai said finishing the food on her plate.

"I forgot to ask you, but how did you create that chakra field around Itachi? I thought you could only make one around yourself?" Naruto asked wanting to know if he would be able to protect Hinata the same way. Kurai's face turned into a frown as she thought about it.

"Truthfully, I don't know how I did that. When I saw her aiming her attack at him, I got scared for a second then I got really mad that she was going to try and hit him."

Hinata was deep in thought as something crossed her mind.

"Maybe it has something to do with our emotions. Remember in the hospital when I got angry for how they treated Naruto-kun and a strange power came forth and attacked everybody. Maybe it's the same with you, Kurai" Hinata suggested, picking up her plate and cleaning it in the sink.

"Hmm maybe" Kurai agreeing and stand up to do the same with her plate. After they ate and cleaned their plates, they all selected a room to claim as theirs. After putting their clothes away, they all fell into a deep sleep only to find themselves in the same dream. In front of them was gray cat with black stripes running along its back with light blue paws, underbelly, and muzzle wearing a bell collar and yellow goggles on its head. The cat smiled, yellow eyes glowing in the dream world.

'_What is with the cat…and why is everybody else in my dream?'_ Hinata thought as she noticed Kurai, Naruto, and Itachi standing, well "floating" next to her staring at the cat too.

"Where are we?" Naruto said as he noticed the others. "And what are you doing in my dream?" he asked looking confused like how everybody else felt.

"I believe that we are sharing a dream Naruto-kun and this cat is the reason we are all here" Itachi said looking at the cat, waiting for it to do something.

"You're correct Itachi I did bring you four here as I did the same with Hiashi-sama" the cat responded, confirming that it was a female, tail slightly curled.

"Why have you brought us here?" Kurai asked curiosity etched in her voice. Smiling, the cat started to move towards them and with each step the bell around her neck rang.

'_To find the truth is what you seek, start the quest until it's complete.'_

'_The secret held within your soul, first you must find the hidden scroll.'_

'_A clue I left the table of center, it's time to set out on your adventure.'_

The cat begin to fade away the closer it got to them. "Hey, wait a minute, what did you mean when you said all that?" Naruto asked confused by the riddle.

'_The hidden scroll is the key to the truth'_ the cat's voice said, slowly becoming softer as the cat faded. The only thing left was the bell collar that seems to float in mid-air as it gave out one last chime and disappeared. The two shinobi and kunoichi then felt themselves leave the dream world for the real one. All of them waking up and gasping, looked at the time and noticed it was still night. All tired, they went back to sleep enjoying the rest of the dreamless night.

_*the next morning*_

As they woke up, they all remembered last night and asked each other if they had a strange dream. Realizing that they all had the same dream they tried to remember what the cat had said to them.

"What did she mean by the hidden scroll?" Hinata was wondering, looking at the others who were deep in thought except Naruto who went to the kitchen to find breakfast.

"I'm more curious about when she said, _'A clue I left the table of center, it's time to set out on your adventure.'_

Just then Naruto's voice could be heard from the kitchen hollering something about a note on the table. Looking at each other, Hinata, Kurai, and Itachi quickly made their way to the dining area where there was, in fact, a note sitting in the middle of the table.

"Guess that explained that part." Kurai said reaching for the note and picking it up to read to everybody.

"_Only the greatest ninjas can go back to where it all begins,"_

"_This place you visited many times, learning of secret missions"_

"_Earning the title of Hokage, and returning after reaching their goal"_

"_Go the place where the history is held, using the power to find the scroll"_

"_Enjoy your journey, for it's the one Naruto has been wanting._"

"_Hinata and Kurai find the truth, and Itachi can finally stop hunting."_

"What is that supposed to mean and what is with all the riddles?" Naruto said loudly after Kurai finished reading the note out loud to the group.

"I don't know it seems really confusing" Kurai said turning it over to see if anything else was written but there wasn't_. _

'_For it's the one Naruto has been wanting?'_ Itachi said, looking at the blonde in question.

"The only thing I want to do is find Sasuke and become Hokage" Naruto said angrily as he fixed himself breakfast.

"Hokage…HOKAGE, that's it. The riddle must mean the Academy" Hinata stated loudly, making everybody look at her.

"How is that?" Naruto said mouth full of ramen.

"The academy is where every great shinobi and kunoichi started out… as a student in the Academy. That's the first line. We visit the administrative building every day to learn what mission we will be assigned that day. That's the second line. All the ones who take the job as Hokage have reached the goal to protect the village they live in. That's the third line. That fifth line means your goal to find and rescue Sasuke and become Hokage to protect those around you" Hinata said breaking down what the riddle meant.

"But what about the fourth part, what place is the history held and what does it mean use the power to find the scroll? And what's with the last line does that mean when we find the scroll everything will lead to the truth and what is Itachi-kun hunting for?" Kurai stated looking at the note again.

"I think it means a place in the Academy, a place the Hokage knows about…maybe in the Hokage's office the scroll is hidden" Itachi said, figuring out the last of the riddle. All agreeing that's what the riddle meant they wondered what this meant and what the cat was about.

"I don't know why but that cat seems…familiar to me" Hinata said after everybody ate breakfast and was getting ready for the day.

"Yea me too, it's really strange because it's like she knows what we're planning to do" Kurai said as everybody gathered at the table, deep in thought.

"Exactly, what are we planning to do?" Naruto asked, drinking a cup of milk as he waited for somebody to answer.

"We need to break into Tsunade's office and find that scroll" Hinata said with determination heard in her voice as Naruto started choking on the milk he was drinking while Itachi patted him on the back.

"We're going to do what?" Naruto asked making sure he hadn't misheard Hinata.

"We need someone to distract Tsunade-sama and the ANBU long enough to have two of us slip into her office and look around while a look-out keeps watch and informs if somebody is coming so the searchers can quickly escape" Hinata said, already having a plan set out for the occasional. Naruto was surprised at how Hinata have been acting different lately because the Hinata he remember would never do anything that could get her in trouble.

"You do know what we're planning is illegal and can get us into serious trouble, right?" Naruto said making sure Hinata knew of the dangers and consequences of this mission.

"Yes, I understand the dangers and willing to take the chance, for I have changed and now see things in a new way. Everybody must do things they don't want to, to find the truth and be seen for what you can do, so now it's time I proved to myself what I can do. My only question is, are you in?" Hinata said, standing up and looking at the group. Kurai stood up instantly.

"I'm in. It will be fun to do something bad" she said a smirk on her face as she looked at the boys. Naruto after a few seconds stood up too.

"I can't let you girls have all the fun, besides baa-chan will find some kind of way to blame it on me anyway."

They all looked at Itachi.

"It's okay Itachi-san, we understand if you don't want to join. I mean you just got your life back and-" before Hinata could finish Itachi stood up and said he was in.

"What I seen over the past two weeks had made me stronger than before and I'm in no matter what. Besides have any of you ever actually broke into a place before?"

Their silence was enough answer for him as they all said that they were in this together.

"Good friends will try to get you out of jail, but true friends would be in jail alongside you" Kurai stated surprising everybody by that inspiring phrase.

"Wow, Kurai, did you come up with that just now?" Hinata asked looking at her twin.

"No, I read it in one of the books at the store" Kurai said with a smile on her face as everybody started laughing.

"Okay, let's get planning" Hinata said as they sat down and decided who would do what. "Here's the plan: Itachi-san and I will sneak into the office and look around for clues using my byakugan and his sharingan to find something hidden. And just in case someone somehow comes in, he can cast a quick genjutsu so we have time to escape. Kurai can be lookout since it will be more suspicious if I was around and Kurai wasn't in site and they also would pay more attention to her than to me. Naruto-kun you have the most important job of all- keeping Tsunade and the ANBU away from the office as long as possible. Do you think you're up to the task?" Hinata asked smiling knowing that Naruto was always looking for a new challenge. Naruto nodded, deep in thought, thinking of the one thing that will distract Tsunade and the ANBU.

"**Think like your perverted sensei"** Kyuubi offered as he wondered what the blonde would come up with.

'_You mean Kakashi or…'_ Naruto thought and suddenly came up with a brilliant idea.

"**That's genius even for you Gaki, not only will you have Tsunade after you but the whole ANBU squad as they try and stop her from killing you" **Kyuubi said shaking his head at Konoha's number one prankster and his idea for the distraction.

"Judging by that big grin on your face, you came up with a way to get 'Busty' out of the office" Kurai said who seemed to like giving people nicknames.

Nodding, Naruto then shared his idea with the others. The others burst into laughter as they praised him saying that it was perfect and expect nothing less from him. They decided to put their plan into action at 1pm that day and left to enjoy the morning. Walking around until it was time to see Tsunade about missions Naruto spotted Konohamaru and told the others that he was going to talk to Konohamaru. Nodding, they watch Naruto whisper something into the scarf-wearing kid's ear as Konohamaru agreed, a giant grin on his face, saying he can't wait and ran off. Kurai and Itachi walked back to the house as Naruto and Hinata made their way to the meeting room where their teams were assigned missions.

"I really hope we don't have any missions today" Hinata said as they opened the door and joined their teams to see what was in store for them. The good news was Hinata's team didn't have a mission. The bad news was Naruto's did and he wasn't happy about it.

"EH, we got a mission today!" Naruto yelled out as he couldn't believe his luck as Tsunade handed Yamato the mission report and looked down at him.

"Sorry Naruto that it isn't exciting but-" Tsunade was saying but was cut off when he blared out "but I don't want a mission today." The room grew quiet as everybody looked at the blonde who didn't want a mission and wondered if it was really Naruto.

"**Smooth move, Brat"** Kyuubi muttered as Tsunade narrowed her eyes at Naruto and said,

"What do you mean you DON'T want a mission?"

"Uh, what I mean is, uh…" Naruto stammered out as many of the teams asked if he was feeling alright.

"I know why Naruto doesn't want a mission today. I saw him talking with Konohamaru earlier" Shikamaru said looking out the window as if daydreaming.

'_Please don't figure it out; please don't figure it out…' _Naruto chanted in his mind as he felt his heartbeat almost doubled.

"I think he is planning something special for Hinata later and didn't want to be disturbed. How troublesome" Shikamaru said not once looking away from the window. Everybody started blushing and giggling as they looked at Hinata, whose face had heated up from embarrassment while Naruto's secretly showed relief at Shikamaru's wrong assumption.

'_Thank you for being too lazy to care'_ Naruto thought as Tsunade coughed and looked down at the papers in front of her.

"Um, well, I sorry for the interruption Naruto, but I need you to go on this mission for you're the only group I think qualify, besides you might find something nice to buy Hinata and Kurai" Tsunade added, seeing the argument he was about to make. Sighing in defeat he nodded while Yamato says the team will leave in 30 minutes as everybody exited the room to get ready or stay in Konoha.

"Hey Naruto-" Sakura started saying but quickly stopped as she watched Naruto take Hinata's hand as they walked away, back to the house. Sighing, Sakura walked home to get her things thinking that she would apologize to Naruto later. Naruto also had something on his mind…how they were going to continue the plan without him.

'_Kuso, I'm the only one who can keep baa-chan busy while the others do their part. Now what are going to do?'_ Naruto mentally sighed as he ran out of ideas.

"**Look like it's time to teach you a new demon style jutsu, it's called Demon Style: Clone Possession"** Kyuubi said sadness heard in his voice.

'_Okay, Kyuubi, answer me this…why are you helping me?'_ Naruto demanded confused at the fox's behavior. Kyuubi sighed and looked down at Naruto who was in front of his cage.

"**I noticed how much that girl-" **

'_Hinata-chan'_ he interjected.

"**Right, Hinata-chan, means to you and loves you and I realized that is something I never had and never will experience except through you, Naruto." **

Naruto was speechless as what the Kyuubi just shared with him, something deep and personal.

'_Wow, Kyuubi, I had no idea...I know this is going to seem rude but you just reminded me of Gaara when you said all that.' _

"**Shut up, Brat" **Kyuubi said but with false anger as he realized that Naruto actually understood his feelings. _**'Ugh, I sound like one of the soap opera shows. I can't believe how much I'm changing…ugh, I hope this isn't permanent'**_ Kyuubi thought as he started explaining the new jutsu to Naruto when they arrived at the house.

"So is everything a go?" Kurai asked as soon as the pair entered the door. Hinata shook her head and told them about Naruto's mission as Kyuubi finished explaining the plan on how to use the jutsu. Nodding, Itachi said that plan would have to wait till tomorrow and they all started to leave when Naruto spoke up.

"No it won't. I know a jutsu that will be perfect for the situation and as an added bonus I don't have to be here for it to work" Naruto said a smile growing on his face. As Naruto explained the jutsu, the others agreed and said it should work except for one problem.

"Who will control it while you're gone?" Kurai asked for everybody had a job they were doing.

"Well if Kurai is lookout and Hinata-chan uses her byakugan to search the office then…"

Everybody then looked at Itachi with creepy smiles on their faces. For the first time in Itachi's life, he sweat dropped as the three looked at him with knowing looks. After getting Itachi to agree to be the 'puppeteer' of the jutsu, Naruto casted the jutsu to see if it would work and it did.

"Great" Naruto said until he noticed the clock said 12:25 and quickly rushed to the gates of Konoha muttering curses as he would almost late for his mission.

"So is everybody ready to put the plan into action?" Kurai said itching to see the look on Tsunade's face when she found out. Shaking her head, Hinata suggested moving the time to 2pm.

"That way, Naruto-kun can have enough time to be far away from here and not be blamed since the town he's going to is having a daimyo visit and most likely make Naruto-kun's team use 'release' to make sure he isn't an imposter. It's good the jutsu is now controlled by Itachi but can use Naruto's chakra supply from a distance" Hinata said walking to the door and quickly making a henge to look like Naruto while she went out and told Konohamaru the change in plan, saying he had a mission and couldn't do it. Konohamaru nodded and said to tell him when he wanted to get them and ran off. Confused, Hinata returned home where she, Kurai, and Itachi stayed until it was time to go.

"Let's go out and get this show on the street, literally" Kurai said whooping as she headed out the door. Hinata giggled while Itachi smirked as they followed the danger-loving kunoichi out the door. Kurai and Itachi locked arms with Hinata as they all said, "Let's go have fun…Naruto style" as all three teleported to town and to an unsuspecting Tsunade.

Me: As you're about to see, I have a weird and twisted sense of humor but I think Naruto would be proud of what is about to happen.

Naruto: You bet I am dattebayo.

Konohamaru: I can't wait to see what you got planned, kore.

Kakashi: It will make the perverts of Konoha very happy.

?: Yes, it does. This is the best prank you ever came up with Naruto.

Naruto, Kakashi, and Konohamaru: Wait, is that- 

Me: Well time to get back to the story *pushes everybody away*

_*inside the Hokage's office*_

Tsunade was at her desk, tired from working at the hospital to find mountains of paper waiting for her on her desk.

"Stupid paperwork" she muttered, filling out paper after paper of important things from missions to alliances.

"What I wouldn't do for a good distraction right now" Tsunade muttered as she stretched a little and got back to her least favorite pastime. However, she didn't realize her wish was about to come true. As she continued to do paperwork she started hearing whistles and cat calls and other sounds outside her window which she just ignored.

"Great, more perverts in Konoha" she muttered tuning out the sounds and concentrating on the paper in front of her. There was a knock on the door, which she yelled, "Enter" not once looking up from her desk. Konohamaru and Kakashi entered the room, a huge grin on Konohamaru's face while Kakashi was reading his book and holding his report in his hand.

"Hey Hokage baa-chan, where's Naruto nii-chan at _kore_?" Konohamaru said staring at Tsunade…or more specifically, her breasts.

"He's on a mission" Tsunade growls, mad at the _'2__nd__ Naruto'_, all the paperwork, and the sounds outside the window that seemed to be getting louder.

"See I told that it couldn't be him." Konohamaru said looking at Kakashi who had yet to put the book down.

"Really, and I thought for sure that was him. He's the only one who would do such a thing." Kakashi said from behind his book which finally caught Tsunade's attention. Looking up with a scowl she asked them what they were talking about. Then when there was a roar of wolf whistles and cat calls and other perverted sounds wafting in through the window. Tsunade looked at the window just as Konohamaru and Kakashi said, "Look outside" as they left the room, knowing what was about to happen next. Walking to the window, she looked down and… Kakashi and Konohamaru could feel the anger radiating from the room through the door and quickly jumped out a different window to the building across from the Academy to get a good view of the show that was about to happen.

'_I'm going to seriously maim that boy_ Tsunade thought as she looks out the window and see what made a lot of the Konoha men stop and make all the cat calls, howls, and whistling outside her office. Right outside her window, in the middle of the street, was a clone of her, messing with her chest saying how soft and big they were. Tsunade's temper skyrocketed when the Tsunade in the street made a clone and then started groping each other, moaning and groaning, make the perverts fly back with nosebleeds while others were taking pictures. Her limit reached, Tsunade jumped out of the window and left a crater where she landed facing the perverts who manage to divert their gaze while Tsunade turned to look at the clones of her.

"I don't know who you are (yet I can guess) but what you're doing is wrong and you better stop or you will be facing ME" Tsunade roared making everybody stop and see what the clones were going to do. The clones, noticing Tsunade's temper, stop groping each other and looked down as if ashamed. Nodding, temper down a little said good, thinking it was Naruto getting revenge for making him go on a mission. However, what Tsunade missed was the grins on both clone's faces as they made the same hand seal and said, "_Sexy Kage Bushin no Jutsu_" and everybody gasp, took pictures, or got major nosebleeds at the site. All around the Academy were thousands of naked Tsunade's messing with their breast. The two clones Tsunade in front of the real one smiled and said, "bye" and disappeared. There were a 15 second period of silence where nobody dared move as everybody took in what just happened.

"That boy either got guts or a death wish to pull this kind of stunt with Tsunade" Kakashi said as he put his book away to see what was going to happen next while Konohamaru was on the rooftop rolling around and laughing saying that Naruto nii-chan was the best prankster in the world. Shizune who had just entered the room when Tsunade jumped out, looked outside, gasped, and went to alert the ANBU at the door about the danger that was about to happen and went to get the whole squad. Hinata passed Shizune and the ANBU guards who didn't give her a second look as they ran to alert the others. Kurai, who had turned invisible, was watching the show from a nearby alley, chuckling at how the plan went beautifully. Tsunade's eye started twitching as both her fist started flowing with chakra.

The Tsunade clones then smiled and said "Catch us if you can" before going off in every direction while the townspeople moved out of the way, knowing what was going to happen next.

The perverts looked at Tsunade and quickly disappeared as a killing aura seemed to cloak the infuriated Hokage who let out a roaring "**I GOING TO MURDER THAT BRAT!**" that was heard all throughout Konoha as she took off after the clones. As soon as she started roaring, the road was cleared within a matter of seconds, nobody wanting to be in the path of the crazed Hokage as she growled, running after some clones with Shizune and the ANBU behind her, not for her protection but for Naruto's as they saw that she truly meant what she said as she flatten two clones into the ground before they poofed away. The Konoha 11, except Naruto's team came out of their hiding places to watch as Tsunade charged around Konoha leaving craters in the streets where the Naruto clones were.

Shaking their heads they all had the same thing on their minds as they all headed for _Ichiraku Ramen_, thinking _'he's dead'_ as they listened to Tsunade roars all across the hidden leaf village. Itachi, sitting at a nearby traditional café, was eating a dango under a disguise as he controlled the clones to stay away from the Academy. Feeling the reach limit on his control, he got up and quietly started making his way through the town as everybody came out of hiding.

'_Naruto-kun will get a good laugh out of this'_ as he pulled out a secret camcorder that had recorded the whole show. Noticing Konohamaru quickly running to watch the rest of it, he stopped him and asked to record the rest, which he was more than happy to as they made their way to watch the death of the clones and the destruction of the streets from Tsunade's fist. As everything returned to normal minus the yelling, nobody paid attention to a grinning white-haired man and his cat with a frown on its face sitting in a tree, watching the show. The man was looking through a spyglass nose bleeding as he laughed every time Tsunade destroyed a clone.

"This is the happiest day of my second life" he chuckled as he quickly got up and leaped to a another tree, the cat making a weird growling sound as it jumped along with the man. "Oh enjoy the view" the man said getting settled in another tree. The cat sighed and shook its head as it sat down beside the man, his green eyes glowing in excitement as it watched Tsunade's wrath until Yamato's team came back from their mission.


	7. If you want to get alive, run for life

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

_Chapter Five- If you want to get out alive, run for your life_

Me: Okay, the jutsu that Naruto used is a combination of his normal shadow clone jutsu and Kankuro's puppet control.

?: (footsteps in distance)

Me: Naruto casts a shadow clone that is then controlled by Itachi by linking his chakra through the clone and having it under his control.

?: (footsteps closer, low humming sound)

Me: Then the shadow clone is made to do whatever the controller (Itachi) makes it do by using chakra strings that are invisible so that the opponent (Tsunade) won't realize it's a fake.

? (Footsteps louder, low screaming sound)

Me: It's different than a regular shadow clone in the case that it can use the chakra straight from Naruto in order to make many clones and has a unique chakra signature that combines Naruto and the controllers (Itachi) making it untraceable. 

? (Footsteps really close and screaming getting louder)

Me: Who in the world is screaming? *Looks and notice Naruto* Oh hey Naru- *looks again and notice Tsunade chasing Naruto*

Me: … Kuchiyose No Jutsu *summons tiger* Quick reverse summon me an –

Naruto: (Arriving) SAVE ME!

Me: HIM. NOW PLEASE! *Summoning disappears* *See Tsunade approach* SH- *I and Naruto disappear*

"That was considered a mission? All we did was help set up a festival and why are they so strict anyway?" Naruto complained as they made their way back to Konoha, coming from the Otafuku City festival.

'_Naruto's back to normal…'_ Sakura, Sai, and Yamato thought as the blonde started complaining about the mission as soon as they left. They were quickly jumping through the trees as the eager blonde was trying to get back to Konoha ASAP.

"Stop complaining Naruto" Sakura said in a mild tone, remembering what happened the day before and apologizing later saying she overreacted.

"We all know you secretly enjoyed the festival when we were allowed to go to the different booths and meet the daimyo of the fire nation. Besides that's why they were so cautious and made us use 'release' to make sure we weren't enemies of the daimyo" Yamato stated as he looked back at the blonde, who had a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Also buying gifts for females usually mean you like them or want to make them happy" Sai said remember reading about gifts for girl in a book.

"Well baa-chan told me it would be a good place to buy them something so I did" he said patting his side pockets where he was keeping Hinata's and Kurai's gifts.

"When did you learn to seal items into scrolls?" Sakura asked not knowing that Naruto knew how to do that. Patting his pocket with two scrolls in it he said, "I actually did learn something on my trip with pervy sage."

Naruto thought about the two yukatas he sealed for Hinata and Kurai. Hinata's yukata was lavender with a black fox dancing in the moonlight, while Kurai's was similar except it was darker shade with a design of a black cat playing with a raven. He also bought fans to go with the yukatas and sealed them away too.

"So what did you buy you, Naruto?" Sakura asked seeing as he put four scrolls in his pocket before they left the city.

"Oh I got me and a friend of mine a yukata too. I thought it would make a nice gift since he helped me in a tight situation" Naruto said, thinking back to how Itachi really didn't want to be out in the open when Tsunade went crazy but gave in seeing as he was the only one right for the position. Itachi's yukata was black with a dark blue raven in flight as Naruto's was a pale blue with orange whirlpool designs that seemed to call out to him when he saw it.

"Really, what did you friend help you out with?" Sakura asked curiously, not knowing that Naruto had other friends besides the Konoha 11. Grinning and scratching his head, he told her that he helped him with a plan to impress Hinata. Sakura then teased Naruto saying, "like how you were going to impress her today", making him blush big-time as he remembered the incident in the mission's room.

"He should since he won't make her happy with a small-" Sai started but was cut off by a growl from Naruto who frowned at his pale-skinned teammate. Catching up to hit Sai, Naruto had a weird feeling that seemed to overwhelm him. Stopping, he felt the need to protect Hinata take over him as he sensed she was in trouble.

'_Kyuubi, Hinata-chan is in trouble. Help her please I won't make it back in time.' _Naruto begged to the fox in the cage, which nodded and let chakra flow through him and deep into the necklace.

"**What you want me to do, Naruto?"** Kyuubi asked voice seeming to fade as the chakra was fueled into the necklace.

'_Protect her'_ was all Naruto said as he felt the warmth of the necklace against his chest as Kyuubi somehow managed to send his soul through the necklace and into Hinata's. Naruto then felt a strange feeling of emptiness with the Kyuubi not being in his mind. After what seemed like hours but was actually minutes, Naruto felt the necklace grow warm again and the emptiness was filled as the Kyuubi reappeared in the cage.

"**She's safe."** Kyuubi said breathing heavily, as he fell asleep to replenish his chakra he used to transport through the necklace.

Naruto came out of his mind to find people calling his name and shaking him roughly. Snapping out of his daze, he shook his head to clear the dizziness and looked around at three concerned faces who were staring at him. Realizing he had stopped, he grinned at everybody and said let's get going as he quickly restarted jumping through the trees. As they chased after the eager blonde, Yamato asked if everything was okay with the Kyuubi, as he felt a large spike in Naruto's chakra levels. Nodding, Naruto said he was testing something with the Kyuubi's chakra to see how much he could control but stopped before it became too much. Nodding, Yamato and the rest followed the blonde, still with concerned looks on their face, as they raced back to Konoha unaware of the danger in site.

'_That was a close one. Thank you Kyuubi, for all that you done.' _Naruto said to the sleeping fox as they neared Konoha.

'…_safe…to-kun. …nks…uubi'_ Naruto thought he heard in his mind as they jumped down from the trees and walked the path back to Konoha. Wondering what was with the unusual voice, Naruto and the rest of Team Yamato made it back to Konoha to find…the entire place in ruins again. Not really, but there was a lot of damage in the street as crater after crater seemed to be everywhere. In the distance, the group could hearing a low roar and dust flying everywhere as they quickly entered the gates to find out what happened. Everybody had surprised looks on their face, even Naruto, who was mentally smirking at how well the plan worked.

'_**Her strength could rival Shukaku and her tember to Nibi'**_ Kyuubi thought tiredly as he had been woken up by Tsunade's roar. Looking around and noticing all the damage, Yamato talked to the guards who were hiding slightly in the booth they were stationed at.

"What happened to Konoha?" he asked, watching as Izumo and Kotetsu stood up from where they were crouching.

"Tsunade is on a rampage, she has been since around 2 o'clock" they said, noticing that the roaring had stopped.

"I'll go and try to cool her down" Sakura said dodging craters and going to find her former sensei.

"Why is she so angry?" Yamato asked as he looked at the depth of the crater which signified just how furious she was.

"Because someone made a whole bunch of shadow clones to look like her naked and groping herself" Kiba said followed by Shino, Hinata, and the rest of the Konoha 11.

"Nani?" Naruto, Sai, Yamato, and the guards said looking at him and that's when Naruto realized everybody was staring at him except Hinata who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Wait a minute. It wasn't me. I just got back from a mission, see" Naruto said defensively, waving to himself, Sai, and Yamato.

"Yea, but you're the only one with enough chakra to make that many shadow clones" Kiba said a grin on his face as he remembered when the clones multiplied.

"Plus, you're the only one who uses that disgusting sexy no jutsu" Ino said, with a frown on her face, thinking about the time Naruto used the jutsu in class.

"And you're also known as the number one prankster of Konoha and the only one who could put such an elaborate prank together in a short amount of time." Shikamaru said, sighing as he thought about the clouds he had watched that day. Naruto had a look of shock on his face as nobody seemed to believe him when he said he didn't do it. Which was true, he didn't do it, Itachi technically did it but he wasn't going to admit that. Looking at the group, his eyes stopped at Hinata who seemed to not have noticed Naruto yet as she had a frown on her face and seemed withdrawn.

'_Must be talking to Kurai'_ he thought as he tried to figure out how to make the group believe him. Just then Sai and Yamato came to his rescue by explaining some of the events that happened on their mission.

"As soon as we made it to the city, we were put straight to work and I was paired up with Naruto. He didn't have time to make shadow clones or use any jutsus as we were rushing to have everything set up." Sai said coming to Naruto's defense which surprised everybody a little. Nodding Yamato added, "Sai is right we got to the city around 2: 30, where they made us use 'release' to make sure we weren't imposters and Naruto used up almost all of his chakra building booths and setting up. By the time the festival started, he was nearly drained and needed Sakura's help just standing." Yamato said thinking at how the blonde worked himself to the point of exhaustion trying to finish.

"Okay, that makes sense. But I got one question, what were you discussing with Konohamaru earlier?" Neji said, remembering that Shikamaru said he saw Naruto talking with the kid. Naruto who blushed, looking at Hinata who finally seem to notice him, was about to answer when Konohamaru and his team showed up with Ebisu.

"Naruto-nii-chan, you're back so do you want me go get them now?" Konohamaru asked then noticed how everybody was staring at him and Naruto.

"Get what, exactly?" Neji asked noticing the look Naruto gave Hinata and wondered how she was involved. Blushing even redder, he mumbled out, "I asked Konohamaru to buy some red roses for Hinata-chan and a few black ones for Kurai. I was going to surprise them with a picnic in the park" he said as he looked at Hinata to see her reaction but noticed she was staring at him, a look of concentration on her face. About to ask her what's wrong, Naruto then felt something click in his mind as he heard a gentle voice.

"_Naruto?"_ the voice said and seemed to disappear. Wearing a confused look on his face, Naruto wondered who the voice belonged to in his head.

'_Kyuubi?'_ he thought but then scratched the idea as the voice was too soft and sounded more feminine. Looking at Hinata again, he notice her face shown curiosity as he heard the voice again, this time saying,

_'Naruto-kun?'_ Looking hard at Hinata, knowing she and Itachi were the only ones to call him that, he answered back.

'_Hinata-chan?'_ he answered in his mind, thinking and looking at her for some kind of reaction. He noticed her eyes go wide and start to approach him when he saw something over his shoulder that made him take a step back.

The group, watching the weird reaction between Hinata and Naruto, notice when he look over her shoulder and took a step back with fear shown on his face. Wondering what he was afraid of they turned and saw Tsunade coming towards them, a frowning and confused Sakura by her side. The group saw what made Naruto take a step back as they noticed how she looked, her clothes were covered with dirt, fist seem to be bleeding from punching the ground so many times, hair frizzing at the end of her ponytails, and she was breathing heavily. The thing that really scared everybody was the crazed insane-look in her eyes as she made her way towards the gate…and them. That's when Tsunade notice Naruto and let out an animalistic growl as she quickly started making her way towards the Yodaime clone who was about to try and become like his father as he thought about running away from the enraged Hokage. Looking around for an escape route, the look on Tsunade's face told him running away was a bad idea, so he thought about summoning Gamabunta to protect him but remembered the Kyuubi used up all his chakra and he didn't have enough on his own. As she got closer, Naruto was thankfully saved by Kurai, who appeared next to him and teleported him to a tall tree just as Yamato and the other sensei began defending Naruto explaining the release technique and the chakra seal and everything. Finally stopping, she shot Naruto, high in the tree, an evil glare that sent chills down his spine before making her way back to the Academy and her office. Naruto stayed in the tree until she was out of site then slowly made his way down and back to the group who were huddled together in fear at Tsunade's temper.

Yamato, sighing, said that he would get Shizune to file the report for him and that his team was dismissed. Looking at Naruto, he told him to stay far away from the Academy for the next few days as he, Sai, Sakura, and the rest of the group, besides Hinata and Kurai, left to go about their business. Almost whimpering, Naruto walked with the girls, avoiding the Academy that looked like it was cloaked in a killing aura, and made their way to _Ichiraku Ramen_ where Itachi was there waiting for them. Naruto dug into his pockets and pulled out three scrolls, with the gifts, and handed them to Itachi, Kurai, and Hinata who all thanked him for it. Sitting next to Itachi, Kurai sat on his right while Hinata sat on Naruto's left, quiet since they left the gate. Itachi was smiling a bit when he looked at Naruto.

"The plan went well" he said then ordered a bowl of ramen for him and Kurai.

"A little TOO well, if you ask me" Naruto said a small smile on his lips as he thought of the look on Tsunade's face while he ordered Hinata and him a bowl of ramen. Turning towards the quiet kunoichi, he asked her about the voice in his head as the food arrived. Looking down at the ramen, she told him about this weird connection to him ever since he gave her the necklace. Sighing, she then ate a bit of ramen before continuing about how her part of the mission went.

"I almost got caught while in the office" Hinata said making the others gasp and Kurai look shocked.

"But I didn't see anybody enter the building, let alone go to the floor with the Hokage's office" Kurai said looking down at Hinata from her seat, a frown on her face.

"It's because he didn't enter through the door but through a window next to the Hokage's office and just out of your range" Hinata said eating some more ramen.

"So what happened and how did you manage to escape?" Itachi asked, finishing his ramen, taking a sip of his tea, and looking at the quiet kunoichi.

"Well I got help from somebody named Kyuubi?" Hinata said looking at the group, more importantly, Naruto who was staring at her with a shock expression on his face.

"Really, tell us what happened?" Kurai asked, not being able to see Naruto's expression from where she was seated. Nodding, Hinata finished her ramen and begin to tell them how she narrowly escaped being seen, mentally thinking how she had to ask Naruto something at the end.

_*Flashback*_

As soon as Hinata saw Shizune and the ANBU pass by, she quickly turned invisible and snuck into the Hokage's office. Looking around and confirming that the place was empty and wasn't being watched, she became visible and started searching. Noticing how quiet it was, Hinata stopped and was about to ask Kurai what happened when she heard Tsunade scream and a thundering sound when she started sprinting after the clones with the ANBU behind her.

"Everything is a go" Kurai said and begin to keep watch while Hinata searched. Hinata then activated her byakugan and started searching high and low for some kind of hidden scroll but didn't find anything.

'_Where is it?'_ Hinata thought after about 30 minutes of searching the small room and coming up empty. Sighing, she wished Naruto was here to give her one of his famous grins and tell her she could do it. Clutching the necklace, she held it in her hand and imagined Naruto giving her the strength to find the hidden scroll. Getting the weird feeling from deep within her, she embraced it and let it quickly spread throughout her body. This time the feeling spread through her chakra points where she sensed something different in the room. Using the byakugan once more, she noticed a yellow aura that seemed to be coming from the wall behind a painting of the fire symbol. Quickly making her way to the painting, she took it down which made a low 'thump' sound as she looked behind it. As she saw the scroll, she saw something else that made her heart stop for a second. She saw a figure jump from the building across the Academy and into a nearby window. Knowing her time was up, she quickly rolled up the scroll and replaced the painting as she saw someone standing at the door. Placing the scroll in her bag, she quickly fueled chakra and turned invisible just as the doorknob turned and in walked Kakashi, still reading his book, as he was turning in a late mission's report. Walking to the desk, he laid the paper down on top of another giant stack and continued to leave the room when he stopped just before opening the door. Hinata was almost holding her breath as she realized that Kakashi had noticed something off. Turning slightly, she almost gasped as she noticed that the painting was leaning a bit to the left as she didn't pay attention when she was rushing to put it back on the wall. Turning her attention back to Kakashi, she became scared when he had put the book away and started reaching for his protector that was covering his eye. Knowing that Kakashi would be able to see her, she started feeling cold almost to the point of shivering. Believing it to be nervousness, she wished for Naruto to come and protect her as she knew she was about to be found out. That's when she felt the necklace glow warm as she heard Naruto's voice in her head, asking someone named Kyuubi to help her.

'_Naruto-kun...Kyuubi?'_ Hinata thought as she felt the necklace grow so warm that it got rid of the chill inside her body as she felt another presence seem to enter her through the necklace. Just as Kakashi was raising his protector, a voice inside her head yelled out, _"Demon Style: Fox Illusion"_ and a red chakra seem to mix in with her own coursing through her body while putting up what she felt was a barrier between her and the rest of the room. Everything quiet, Kakashi revealed his sharingan and looked at the spot where Hinata was standing, neither of them moving. Staring at the wall where she was, he covered his eye and started moving towards her as she felt her body move to the side. Going to the painting, he put it back into place, muttering something like "must have been tilted from Tsunade's punch", pulled out his book, and let the room closing the door firmly behind him. Letting out the breath she had been holding, she thanked the voice in her head, believing it to be named _'Kyuubi'_ as she felt the weird presence leave her body through the necklace again. As she left the room, she heard Naruto's voice in her head thanking the Kyuubi as she did the same. Wondering if it was a new power, Hinata left the Academy and met up with Kurai and Itachi, telling them that she would meet them at _Ichiraku Ramen_. Nodding, they both left for the ramen shop as she joined the Konoha 11 at the gate and waited for Naruto.

_*end of flashback*_

All three listeners were silent as they registered all that Hinata had told them. Looking at Naruto, Hinata asked him, who was Kyuubi and how was he able to get into her mind. Giving a sideway glance to Itachi, who seemed stone-faced and Kurai who also had a look of curiosity, as he turned towards Hinata wondering if it was okay to tell her.

"**I think it's time you told her the truth." **Kyuubi responded noticing the fear inside of Naruto's mind as he battled with the idea of telling Hinata and Kurai the truth_. _

'_But what if she hates me? What if she treats me like the rest of the town did?'_ Naruto asked not wanting to lose the only one who he finally managed to love and have her love him back.

"**She won't"** was the Kyuubi's only response as he back away inside his cage to get some much needed rest. Sighing as he made his final decision, Naruto told Hinata he would tell them at home, as everybody paid for their ramen. As the four walked home, Naruto was having second thoughts about telling her and Kurai.

'_Itachi knows but he doesn't hate me, although he was part of the Akatuski that was trying to take the Kyuubi from me so I guess that doesn't count. Sai, Sakura, and Sasuke know, somewhat, about the Kyuubi or more the power inside of me. Maybe I should talk with Iruka-sensei before I do this…but he most likely tell me to do what I feel is right.'_

Mentally sighing, Naruto continued to walk with Itachi, Kurai, and Hinata until the Hyuuga Manor came into view then Kurai and Itachi left, leaving Naruto and Hinata to themselves. Naruto looked at Hinata who was staring up at the colors in the sky as the sun set. Smiling, he remembered the day that she confessed to him during the 'Invasion of Pain'. He then thought about the clearing, the hospital, going to _Ichiraku Ramen_, meeting Kisame, laughing when Hinata showed Kisame, Itachi staying with them, and the afternoon in the park_. _

'_You always supported me when I thought no one should, you always loved me when I thought no one could. Please accept what I have to tell you, for you're my Hinata-chan.'_

Naruto and Hinata finally made it back to the house where Kurai and Itachi were waiting for them in the living room. Seeing Kurai, staring at his face then his stomach tilting her head, Naruto realized that Itachi had already told her and she was piecing it all in her mind. Sitting down, Naruto turned to Hinata with all seriousness as he prepared himself for her reaction.

"Hinata-chan, what I'm about to tell you is top secret where only jonin-level and higher shinobi know the truth… do you understand?" Naruto asked, looking at Hinata giving her a chance to back out. Nodding in understanding, Naruto continued with what he had to say, watching Hinata's reaction as he told her. "16 years ago, the fourth battled a 9 tailed demon fox that was attacking Konoha and everybody assumed that he killed it by sealing it in the death god by sacrificing himself along with it, thus saving Konoha."

"What do you mean, _assumed_?" Hinata asked catching on that the younger generation hasn't heard the whole story and there was more to add, something more serious.

"What I mean by assumed-" Naruto restarted, "is that he didn't kill it not all of it anyway. The 9 tailed fox was too big to fit into the death god so Yodaime sealed what he could and the rest into a new-born infant, his son, and asked for his son to be looked on as a hero for carrying the burden of being the host of the 9 tailed fox. Do you know who that new born is and what the name of the 9 tailed fox was?" Naruto asked seeing tears weld up in Hinata's eyes as she started putting the clues together.

"No, it wasn't…" she started but couldn't finish it as he lifted up his shirt and gathered show chakra, showing the seal on his stomach.

"The 9 tailed fox's name was Kyuubi and I was that newborn he was sealed into."

To prove his point, he grabbed a kunai from his weapons pocket and cut his palm which then started to heal instantly.

"You see whenever I'm hurt the Kyuubi heals me almost instantly and when I'm low on chakra, he can lend me his when I'm in danger. Before, he used to try and control me with the chakra but somehow we came to some kind of understanding or he is sick and being possessed and he hasn't tried to take control in a while."

Hinata just stared, wide eyed, as she tried and registered all Naruto had just told her.

"The red chakra, the way you look withdrawn all the time…" Hinata started needing to know if his behavior was for that reason.

"Yes, the red chakra belongs to the Kyuubi and at times I look withdrawn, I'm usually talking to Kyuubi inside the cage in my mind" Naruto said, looking down as he felt he couldn't look Hinata in the eyes right now.

"Can you generate some of the Kyuubi's chakra, please?" Kurai asked reminding Naruto that she and Itachi were there and listening too. Naruto did as she asked as she turned her eyes on and stared at his stomach. "Whoa, he's right I can see a fox head look back at me…that's so cool" Kurai said her eyes back to normal and staring at Naruto with amazement in her eyes.

"Naruto-kun, for 16 years you have been hated by many for the burden you carried as you lived in Konoha. The fourth, your father, his last wish was for the town to look onto you like a hero and not a monster" Hinata said looking down as every word seemed to be coming from her heart. "I believe that the people of this village see the monster you carry and not you so they act based on what they believe. Do you know what I believe?" Hinata asked, not once looking up at Naruto. Heart aching, Naruto shook his head as tears fell, thinking he lost someone who he truly cared about. Hearing sobs, Naruto looked up at Hinata, who was facing him, tears in her eyes, as she said, "I believe that everybody in this town is a damn fool for not honoring your father's last wish and that I would never see you as nothing more than who you are. You're Uzumaki Naruto, my boyfriend, prankster, host, believer, achiever, and our future Hokage who will always keep his word…for that is your way of the ninja" Hinata said pride and love written all over her face and heard deep within her voice as she stared at Naruto through tear-filled eyes.

Shocked to the core, Naruto couldn't do anything but cry tears of joy as Hinata admitted to still loving him after finding out the truth. Looking at Kurai and Itachi, they nodded as they also accepted him for who he was and what he carried inside of him. Turning back to Hinata, he held her as she cried out for all the pain and loneliness that Naruto had to endure over the past 12 years until he finally found friends and family in the Konoha 11, Iruka, Kakashi, Tsunade, Jiraiya, the Konohamaru Corps, and the Sand siblings. When she was done crying, Naruto wiped away her tears and kissed her gently on the lips. Noticing how tired Hinata looked, he carried her to her bed where she asked him to stay with her and he complied. While Hinata snuggled up to him, Naruto fell asleep, the last thing he heard was Hinata's gentle breathing, Itachi telling them not to get too frisky, and Kurai laughing at Itachi's comment as they went to bed.

The next day, the four woke up to a bright and shining morning where they remembered the events from yesterday. Holding hands, Naruto and Hinata made their way down the stairs where Itachi and Kurai were drinking tea.

"Hey sleepy heads, it's about time you guys woke up. So, Naruto about yesterday, how did you send the Kyuubi to Hinata if he is sealed within you?" Kurai asked as she forgot to ask him the question due to all the events that had taken placed. Fixing himself breakfast, Naruto then explained the necklace and the Kyuubi's chakra to the rest as they agreed that it was a good idea.

"I didn't know it was possible to send Kyuubi into another person like that? You two must have some kind of special connection after all" Itachi said refilling his cup with tea. Smiling, Naruto asked Hinata about the scroll from yesterday when she went and retrieved the scroll from her backpack and placed it on the table. All gathering around it, they prepared themselves as they opened the scroll to find…nothing. Blank. The scroll was blank. They all stared at the scroll for several seconds before Naruto let out a loud, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" snapping everybody out of their trance.

"Calm down Naruto-kun, it most likely has a cloaking jutsu on it where it will reveal only to the person who is supposed to read it" Itachi said, receiving a few when he was part of the ANBU. Nodding, Hinata fueled her chakra into the scroll and waited for something to happen. Nothing happened. Frowning, they all tried fueling their chakra into the scroll but it remained the same.

"Maybe it takes blood?" Kurai suggested, seeing as the chakra plan didn't work. Biting her finger, Hinata smeared some blood at the top of the scroll where she felt something engraved into the paper.

"That's weird. It feels like some kind of indention" she said as she wiped the blood over the unusual mark. Lifting her thumb, everybody noticed the outline of a kanji sticking out on the scroll.

"It looks like…kitsune" Kurai said tilting her head to look at it from a different angle. Everybody instantly looked at Naruto, who was talking with Kyuubi.

'_Hey Kyuubi, you have any ideas on how to read this scroll?' _he asked looking up at the fox.

"**Hmm, you need to channel my chakra into the scroll as it seems to be made from fox magic."**

'_Fox Magic?' _Naruto asked for he never heard of such a thing.

"**I'll explain that later along with teaching you some more demon style jutsu like the fox fire and fox illusion"** Kyuubi said as he watched Naruto leave the essence of his mind for the real world. Blinking, he told them that it needed to be fueled with Kyuubi's chakra. Hinata, thinking about the red chakra that was still swirling around inside her picked up the scroll and started to fuel some of the Kyuubi's chakra into it. That's when the scroll reacted, glowing red with words appearing on it and staying as the glow faded. Shock and excited, everybody gathered around as Itachi read what was on the scroll:

_I'm hot during the day and cold at night,_

_To cross me, you will need all you're might._

_From there on out, to find the soul,_

_You must first locate the 2__nd__ hidden scroll._

_To find what you seek, you need a helping hand,_

_For he doesn't sleep in the village of sand._

"Another riddle?" Naruto cries out, hitting his head on the table, as the others look down at the new riddle.

"At least this one makes a little more sense" Kurai said already breaking down the riddle in her mind.

"Okay so what's _'hot during the day and cold at night'_ and I'm guessing it something you cross like an obstacle since _'you will need all you're might'. _

"Maybe a beach, since it said the village of sand" Hinata suggested, who never actually got to travel far and didn't know that many places with sand.

"The village of sand has to be Suna, in the wind country" Itachi stated calmly remembering Sasori talking about his home in Suna.

"So Suna is our next destination then." Kurai stated mentally making a list of the things she would need, including sunscreen.

"Oh yea, Suna." Naruto stated as he seemed to have forgotten about the wind country thanks to all the changes that happened the past week or so. "Then that means the desert is what the first and second lines mean" Naruto said, remembering crossing the long desert as he and the rest made their way to Suna one time.

"But who do we gain help from and what does it mean by the soul" Hinata asked, making everybody re-look at the scroll.

"I didn't get many missions to Suna, so I can't help you much with that one" Itachi stated as he went to put his tea cup in the sink. Something was nagging Naruto about line six as if he knows what it's talking about, but can't come up with a name or face.

"Doesn't sleep" he muttered under his breath as he remembered a conversation he had with the kitsune.

'_Something about not being able to sleep…eat at personality…host.'_ Naruto's eyes shot open as he remembered what he heard about being the host of the one-tailed raccoon dog, Shukaku. "Gaara is who we need help from" he says loudly earning the other trio's attention.

"How so?" Hinata and Kurai asked for they didn't know that Gaara had been the host of the one-tailed raccoon-dog demon, Shukaku. Naruto quickly explained about Gaara's past as they sat, gasping that someone so close had to go through the same hardship as Naruto. Excited that they figured out the riddle, one part still remained on all of their minds.

"What does it mean by '_from there on out, to find the soul?'_ I'm guessing it must mean the soul of the truth" Kurai answered as Hinata rolled up the scroll and placed it back into her backpack. Dismissing it, they all started talking about the tailed beast, while Kyuubi had something else on his mind.

'_**It seems somebody does have a**__ 'furry' __**little secret and the truth is about to come out…that explains everything. It looks like Naruto's life just got more interesting and he will be in for the shock of his life when he finds out the truth'**_ Kyuubi thought smirking as he knew what the riddle meant when it was talking about the soul.

"So how is Hinata able to use the Kyuubi's chakra and fuel it to the paper and how much is she able to use?" Kurai said, looking at the necklace and wondering if she could do the same with a certain somebody.

"Good question, I'll ask him" as Naruto stood in front of the cage looking inside. He noticed the Kyuubi's back was turned to him as he stood outside the cage. Being cautious, Naruto slowly made his way inside the cage, going towards the Kyuubi. Stopping just pass the bars, he looked around and was surprised at what he saw. Inside the cage were all the comforts of home with a living room, dining room, bedroom, entertainment room, even a bathroom_. _

'_What? You're living better than I did when I was in my apartment' _Naruto said, noticing how comfortable the bed look and how big the TV was**. **

"**That's because I'm using a fox illusion that gives this place the comforts of home"** Kyuubi answered, finally turning around after messing with his tails. **"So, what you need brat since you actually entered my cage"** Kyuubi asked as he looked down at the still entranced Naruto who was poking at the bed as if it was going to disappear.

'_Huh, oh yea. How is Hinata-chan able to use your chakra a few minutes ago when you were stuck inside me?'_ Naruto asked, getting suspicious as he believed the Kyuubi didn't tell him everything about fueling his chakra to her. Kyuubi chuckled and grabbed Naruto with one of his tails and sat him on the bed.

"**From what I can tell there are three reasons why she can do that. One is the special bond you two have that is so strong that I believe you're soul mates." **

"_Soul-mates?"_ Naruto asked, not understanding what the Kyuubi meant as he sighed at the extremely dense Yodaime clone.

'_**I wonder where he got his naïve-ness from'**_Kyuubi thought before he continued.__**"A person with whom you have an immediate connection the moment you meet—a connection so strong that you are drawn to the person and care deeply for them to the point of wanting to do anything for them." **Kyuubi explained as best as he could to the naïve blonde.

'_Oh okay, I get it now'_ Naruto said, understanding shining in his bright blue eyes. Muttering something that sounded like, 'baka' Kyuubi continued his list of reasons as to why Hinata had the ability to use his chakra.

"**Two, the necklaces I told you to fuel with my chakra play a part. Remember when I told you that she can call on my chakra if she was ever in danger, although she has to know about it to call on it but she can now." **

Nodding, Naruto waited for Kyuubi to finish but he didn't say anything else.

'_And the third…'_ Naruto encouraged as the kitsune seemed to be deep in thought.

"**The third may have something to do with her past. I believe her family may have made a deal with a fox, maybe a two or three tailed fox and granted her protection at some point and that's why my chakra can safely run through her easily and she can tap into the chakra already within her and not having to go straight to mine" **Kyuubi said figuring out how much to tell Naruto.

'_Oh ok. Thanks Kyuubi…uh, can you get me down from here?'_ Naruto asked noticing how far below the ground was. Chuckling, the Kyuubi picked him up and set him down back on the floor. Leaving the cage, Naruto missed when something gleamed, attached to the 5th tail of the kitsune. Looking at it, Kyuubi sighed and went to meditate.

'_**I hope that what she told me and my suspicious are wrong this time, but if they're right…well I had fun hanging with you, Kit.'**_

Naruto left his mind and retold the group everything he learned from Kyuubi.

"Wow that's awesome so what about me, I don't exactly fit into those categories so am I able to use the Kyuubi's chakra too?" Kurai asked eyes seeming to glow in wonderment.

"I don't know have you tried?" Naruto asked sensing that the Kyuubi was mediating and didn't want to be bothered. Fueling her chakra, she tried tapping into the Kyuubi's chakra but couldn't.

"I guess not…oh well." Kurai said with a bored expression on her face.

"So are you going to take Hinata on that picnic you promised earlier?" Kurai said with a smug look on her face as she looked at Hinata. Laughing at the deep blush on Naruto's face, they decided they all would go as the group left the house, avoiding the tower as they went along, and went into the _Yamanaka Flower Shop_. Inside, Naruto and Itachi looked around for Ino's dad so they could pick up the flowers Naruto's ordered for the girls.

"So, where did you get the money to buy all the flowers and stuff?" Itachi asked as he remembered a lot of shinobi who lived by themselves had to save up their money in case of emergencies.

"Since I moved in with Hinata-chan I didn't have to pay for my apartment building so I had the money for rent and then after I help stop the _'Invasion of Pain'_ a lot of the town would sneak money into my bank account. I was surprised by how much was in there, enough to last me a couple of months in mission pays." Naruto said as he spotted Ino coming out of the back room. Greeting her, Naruto told her he was here to pick up his order as she checked the log, nodded and went to go get the flowers from the back. Coming back with wide eyes and two dozen roses, one dozen red roses and the other black roses, she handed them to Naruto arching an eyebrow as curiosity shown on her face. Ignoring the look, he thanked her and started heading for the door. Looking at Itachi, he smiled slightly and handed Itachi the black roses to give to Kurai who looked at Naruto surprised as they headed out the door and to where the girls were waiting. Handing them each the flowers, the girls blushed and thanked them, giving them a long kiss on the lips, Itachi and Kurai, Naruto and Hinata. As they were leaving, Itachi looked back inside the flower shop to see Ino talking and giggling on the phone. Shaking his head, he followed the group back home where the girls put the roses into a vase, while the boys packed a picnic lunch. Hearing the girls giggle, the boys turned to see Hinata and Kurai wearing the yukatas and fans Naruto had brought for them.

"We decided to wear them since their right for the occasion and they're pretty, thank you Naruto-kun."

Scratching his head, thanking the girls for the compliments as Itachi finished packing the picnic.

"Alright, picnic is all set, let's go put our yukatas on Naruto-kun" Itachi said as he grabbed the scroll out of his bag. Helping each other put on the yukatas, they grabbed the picnic and headed towards the Hyuuga Manor and out to the town. Walking, while holding hands, they picked up dessert at the dango shop where they met Anko and Kurenai outside eating the three-colored dumplings. Surprised to see them, the two older kunoichi noticed the group holding hands and carrying the basket.

"Where are you _four_ heading off to this fine afternoon?" Kurenai asked giving a quick glance towards Itachi who was standing close to Kurai.

"I think the question is _what_ they going to be doing this fine afternoon?" Anko added looking at their attire and the basket.

"This is Yoru, a friend of mine, and where going to the park to have a picnic but first we picking up some desserts" Naruto asked, looking and smiling at Hinata who giggled. Kurenai arched a brow and looked over at Kurai who had a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Ok, while you two get the desserts I would like to speak with Hinata and Kurai for a minute, if you don't mind." Kurenai asked looking at both boys. Shaking their heads, they quickly kiss the girls and went inside to order the food. Kurenai and Anko then grabbed Hinata and Kurai's hand and started asking them a bunch of questions at the same time.

"How are you Hinata? Are you feeling okay?"

"Woo, looks like my idea for changing your clothes worked, you go girl."

"Is Naruto treating you right?"

"Man, that boy is hot, where did you get him at?"

"Has he been polite and asking about you? Do you need anything?"

"You're lucky girl I bet he looks good naked, hey do he have an older brother?"

Sweat dropping, both girls shook their heads at the overprotective and overbearing kunoichi.

"To answer your questions, Kurenai-sensei, I'm fine; I feel great; Naruto-kun's treating me right; and he has been most polite and always asking if I need something. He even bought me a necklace and flowers for the picnic. " Hinata answered to her teacher who sighed in relief knowing that he was treating her right. Kurai answered Anko's questions with a knowing smirk on her face.

"Thanks, and I like the clothes, although "Busty" didn't; he's a friend of Naruto's and he helped move Naruto's stuff into the new house; "he does look good naked and no he doesn't an older brother, but a younger one that's traveling."

Hinata and Kurenai stopped and looked at Kurai when she answered Anko's last question.

"How do you know he looks good naked?" Kurenai and Hinata asked at the same time, while Anko was whopping 'you go girl.' Eyes seeming to glow, she told them that she was practicing her byakugan and that he just happened to be around. Gasping, Hinata blushed as Kurenai just frowned at her, shaking her head at Kurai.

"I wasn't trying to on purpose, but I'll say one thing…damn and Naruto isn't bad either" Kurai said smirking, earning a "Kurai!" from Hinata as she covered her bright red face and nosebleed at the thought of Naruto naked. Hearing a sound behind them, all four kunoichi except Hinata turned to see the boys coming back with a box of cinnamon buns and a bag full of dangos.

"Are you girls ready to go?" Naruto asked then frowned when he noticed the looks all three were giving him and Itachi, who seemed to staring at Kurai and Anko who had big grins on their faces.

"Do we want to know what you four were talking about?" Itachi asked looking at the blushing sensei and the grinning pair.

"NO" all four said at the same time before busting out into giggles as the boys just shook their heads. Grabbing a napkin, Hinata quickly wiped away the blood from her nose before turning back to the boys.

"We're ready, Naruto-kun" Hinata said as Naruto took her hand in his as Itachi took Kurai's.

"Wow yukatas and necklaces, red and black roses, cinnamon buns and dangos…you two enjoy spoiling us don't you?" Kurai said as they started walking off leaving the gaping older kunoichi behind.

'_Clothes, jewelry, and roses, since when did Naruto become the romantic and where did he get the money?'_ they both wondered as they watched the group disappear down the street on their way to the park.

"You think we should follow them, to make sure they don't try anything" Anko asked, secretly wanting to spy on their date.

"No need for that, looks like the other kunoichi are already beating us to it" Kurenai said as she spied Sakura, Ino, and Tenten hiding in a nearby alley and secretly following the group at a safe distance. Laughing, Anko and Kurenai left for home, unaware of someone else spying in an alley.

"She really has become more beautiful" a male voiced said, smoke rising from the cigarette in his mouth.

"I thought you were going to quit smoking" a gray cat said sitting on his shoulder, waving a paw in front of her face.

"I am, now I see I have a much more important reason to quit" the mysterious figure said, placing his last cigarette on the ground and stomping it out before disappearing in the shadows of the alley.

"Do the other kunoichi work in a news company?" Kurai asked out of the blue, earning looks from the other three as they made their way up the park stairs.

"No, Kurai, they don't, why do you ask?" Hinata wondered as she noticed that Kurai's byakugan was activated. Sighing, Kurai turned off the byakugan and muttered, "because _'gossip magazine' _has sent their three best snoopers, who been following us since we left the dango shop…and they brought friends." Confused, Hinata activated her on byakugan, making sure not to look at Itachi or Naruto, and scanned her surroundings. "I don't see what you…oh, now I see what you mean" Hinata said giggling a bit as her eyes turned back to normal.

"Care to enlighten us on what you two girls saw?" Naruto asked, confused as Itachi shook his head muttering something about a new 'gossip no jutsu.'

"We're being followed by the rest of the teams—Sakura, Sai, Kiba and Akamaru, Shino, surprisingly Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Lee, Neji, and Tenten" Hinata giggled as Naruto gaped at her while Kurai kept muttering something about nosy ass girls.

"Are you serious? Why are they following us?" Naruto asked trying to turn around but stopped by a hand on his shoulder from Itachi.

"Maybe because this is a date and they hoping you won't mess it up" Itachi stated taking his hand off Naruto's shoulder and placing it at his side.

"More like wanting something juicy to talk about for weeks on end" Kurai said as she turned towards the others. "Thanks to Naruto, my prankster side has woken up, who wants to show them how we spy?" Kurai said, a smirk on her face as she beginning fueling chakra. Chuckling they all begin to fuel their chakra before thinning it out quickly making it seem like they were vanishing in the darkening night. Completely invisible except for the basket, they quickly jumped up into a tree where they watch the rest of the teams gather at the spot they were just at. Deciding to have some more fun, they ate their picnic in the tree and watched the horror looks on the team's faces as they noticed floating food that was being eaten right in front of them.

"N-Neji?" Tenten said looking at him, trembling, hoping what she was seeing wasn't real. Kyuubi then decided now was the perfect time for a new jutsu.

"**Naruto, I think now is the perfect time for you to learn two new jutsus. The first jutsu is Demon Style: Fox Illusion and it requires these hand signs ending with the fox sign. Now this jutsu can also be used to cover others, all you have to do is think about who you want to put an illusion on and make the hand signs, so try it out now." **

Nodding, Naruto quickly made the hand sign, using a little of the Kyuubi's chakra, and silently said "_Demon Style: Fox Illusion_" before he thought of him, Hinata, Kurai and Itachi. Feeling like a wall was placed in front of him he slowly stopped fueling his chakra and noticed the group face expressions haven't changed. Grinning, he silently told the others and they did the same.

'_So, what's the next jutsu you're going to teach me, Kyuubi?'_

"**Demon Style: Fox Fire."**

'_But my element is wind, how can I use fire jutsus?' _Naruto asked as Neji started looking at them through the byakugan and shivering slightly.

"There's nothing there" he said, deactivating the byakugan.

"What do you mean there's nothing there? We just saw Naruto, Hinata, Kurai, and some guy, vanish before our eyes and now their basket is up in a tree and is being eaten in front of us" Sakura said looking up at the floating food again**. **

"**When you merge my chakra with your own, you will be able to use fire jutsus because your natural wind element will power up my fire chakra making you able to use fire jutsus" **Kyuubi explained, secretly enjoying how the group below was scared but trying to hide it.

'_Cool, but why teach it to me now?'_ Naruto asked, not seeing the importance of learning the jutsu now.

"**Well, it's actually more for the prank but you can use it in battle, but for now let's have a little fun. First I'll merge my chakra with your own, so you can use fire jutsus and second imagine a small flame anywhere around your body. When you get enough control, you will be able to send it further away from you but for now the farthest you can go is next to you where Hinata is sitting so go ahead and have some fun" **Kyuubi said with a laugh as he sat back in his cage and watched the show.

Whispering in Hinata's ear he told her to tell Kurai to summon her fire and to help pull off the prank. Nodding in agreement, she mentally told Kurai of the plan. Smirking, she whispered something in Itachi's ear and he looked at her with a smirk on his face as he started make animal sounds like the howling of a cat or the call of a crow. Realizing what they were planning, Hinata started to hum a creepy tune as Naruto and Kurai started creating _'Cat Ghost Fire'_ and '_Fox Fire'_ all around their bodies. The results were instant as the girls scream and clung on to the boys, Sakura on Lee, Ino on Chouji, and Tenten on Neji, as the rest of the boys just stood there looking at the fire.

"Kai" Sakura said releasing all her chakra at once and looking up back at the tree.

"This isn't happening…" Kiba whined as Akamaru started whimpering, tail tuck between his legs and hiding behind Kiba.

"Sh-Shikamaru, wh-what's happening?" Ino stuttered out in fear as she clung to Chouji as if he could protect her. For once, Shikamaru didn't have an answer as he too stared, wide eyed, at the blue and purple fire balls floating in the air.

"Let's attack it" Tenten, snapping out of her fear, said as she reached for her weapons scrolls while Sai pulled out his ink set.

'_Ok Kyuubi, how do I use them in battle as it seems they're ready for a fight, but I don't want to hurt them so-'_ Naruto started but was quickly interrupted by Kyuubi who explained.

"**Imagine a shield of fire either in front or all around you when they attack, this is how it can be used in defense. In attack, you can bring the fire to your fist and use a flaming punch or to your feet and use a blazing kick. You can summon the fire anywhere and it won't burn on you or your friends connected with fire but be careful because fire is a hard to control and can get out of hand if you're not able to handle it." **

Thanking the fox, Naruto quickly made a shield of fire around them just as Sai's ink beast went to attack them. Gasping as they saw the flames form a shield, Tenten opened up a scroll and begin to summon and throw weapons of all shapes and sizes. Naruto noticed Kurai send some of the flames at the weapons, which melted under the heat and started doing the same. Watching as their attacks became useless, Neji, Lee, and Tenten begin to back away and leave quickly as they knew they were no match for the unknown. The others frozen in place, just stared up at the floating balls of fire as they danced around. Thinking it was time to end their fun, Naruto and Kurai recalled all their flames except one while Itachi and Hinata stopped making sounds and singing. Seeing the others relax, Hinata said in her creepiest voice ever:

_What do you do with some nosy ninjas?_

_Disappear and give them what they deserve._

_What do you do with some nosy ninjas?_

_Scare them all AWAY_

And on that last part, Naruto and Kurai started creating a giant ball of fire that took the shape of a cat and fox and begin to chase the poor group, who screamed and tripped over each trying to escape the unusual flames. Hearing some of them scream for their parents, the four couldn't take any more and started laughing which only made the Konoha 11 more afraid as they started to hear the voices of the four people who just disappeared and quickly hightailed it home while the four enjoyed the rest of the picnic in the tree as they watched the moon rise. Finishing off the food, Kurai and Itachi poof Hinata and Naruto home where everybody just got ready for bed when there was loud knock on the door. Itachi disappearing upstairs, Naruto and Hinata quickly opened the door to see Hiashi, Neji, Tenten, and Lee, whose clothes were rumpled, staring at them with wide eyes. Managing to keep a straight face, Hinata asked was everything alright. Blinking, Hiashi asked her when she got back for he didn't see her return.

"Oh, we returned about half an hour ago after our picnic. We were tired, so Kurai decided to poof us home. Sorry for making you worry, otousan, Neji-nii-san. Hello Tenten, Lee, what are you two doing here?"

Naruto started coughing badly as he was hiding the chuckle that had escape and said he was going to get some water. Unable to make sentences, Neji just sighed, shook his head, and walked off with an embarrass Tenten and Lee and a very confused Hiashi who walked back to the main house. As soon as they were out of site, everybody appeared in the room, and started laughing their hearts out, saying that was the most fun they had in a long time.

"Now I see why you use to put so much effort in your pranks…because it is fun" Hinata said after she caught her breath with that ended in a yawn as everybody used up a lot of chakra to pull the stunt. Saying good night to each other, they went to bed unaware of the person who just darted away from the window, having seen Itachi and knew that he wasn't supposed to be there.

"I'll show them" the voice said as a mysterious figured darted off towards the Hyuuga Manor.

_*the next day*_

Everybody woke up feeling good about yesterday and decided to eat breakfast together.

"So how are we going to get to Suna?" Kurai asked, remembering the scroll that was packed away in Hinata's backpack. They all begin to ponder about that as they trained a bit and got ready to meet their teams for missions. "You two go ahead, I'll stay here with Itachi-kun and try to figure out something" Kurai said putting the dishes away in the sink. Agreeing, Hinata and Naruto left the house to go meet their teams in front of the Hyuuga Manor where they passed Hiashi who gave a curt nod and a smile. Waving at him, they joined their groups on the way to the Academy who were unusually quiet and kept glancing at them as Naruto and Hinata pretended like nothing happened. As they approached the Academy, the ANBU guards gave Naruto a knowing look and said "be careful, she seems to still be in a bad mood from two days ago." Naruto's face paled as he nodded and continued to walking with the group, falling behind with Hinata the closer they got to the meeting room. As the two teams entered the room, Naruto got an idea as he quickly made a single shadow clone and sent it into the room with Hinata while he stayed outside, out of site. Listening from the door, he heard that he and Hinata didn't have any missions today and that they were dismissed. Before the teams could leave, Tsunade had called Naruto to the front and smiled sweetly…right before her fist full of chakra punched the clone and sent it flying into a wall. Hinata let out a cry of shock just as Kurai appeared next to her to see the clone disappear and Tsunade get up from her seat, angry that she had been tricked. Hearing a growl, Naruto became Konoha's 2nd yellow flash as he quickly made his way down the hall and out of site just as the door slammed open to reveal a tired and angry Tsunade looking around for him. Naruto quickly left the building with the guards seeing nothing but a flash of yellow, orange, and black as they were wondering how he escaped so fast while Naruto made his way to the Hokage Monument resting on the fourth's head.

"**Nice one."**

'_Thanks' _Naruto replied catching his breath at the near death escape. Naruto stayed on his father's head, thinking about the trick they played yesterday and wondered if he should play it on Tsunade. As 20 minutes passed and he talked himself out of the idea, _'Baa-chan would succeed in killing me'_ he felt the click in his mind again, before he heard Hinata's voice in his head.

"Naruto-kun, where are you?" Naruto responded in his head, saying _'I'm on top of the fourth's head on the monument' _but didn't hear a reply**. **

"**You have to think of her when you want to speak to her mentally"** Kyuubi explained what he was doing wrong. Trying again, he heard Hinata say ok and suddenly appear next to him. Surprised, he asked she learn to do that and she answered that she can use Kurai's ability to teleport, although she doesn't know how.

"I can only teleport to you, Kurai, or Itachi-san" she said as she sat down next to him.

"So baa-chan still blames me for the whole _'sexy shadow clone jutsu'_ huh?" Naruto said watching as the town people went on with their daily lives.

"Not anymore. After you left, Shizune-san came in and explained to Tsunade-sama that the chakra signature used to form the clones was different and didn't match yours, so it couldn't have been you" Hinata explained to a very relieved Naruto who let out his breath and continued to watch the people down below. "So Naruto-kun, when did you find out about your father being the fourth Hokage?" Hinata asked, wanting to know more about Naruto and his family. Smiling, Naruto begin to tell Hinata all about meeting his dad after she was stabbed by Pain and the conversation with him. Hinata just smiled and listened as she felt herself get closer to Naruto the more she learned about him. Naruto didn't know why but he felt better than ever after he told somebody about the Kyuubi and his father. By the time, Naruto finished it was getting late. Looking at Hinata and smiling, Hinata teleported them to the front of the Hyuuga Manor and walked through the forest to their home. Going inside they saw Kurai and Itachi had fixed dinner and was waiting on them. Sitting down, Hinata noticed a frown on Kurai's face as she was eating her food. "Is everything okay, Kurai?" Hinata asked wondering what had happened to make her frown like that.

"I saw Hanabi today and she had a sinister smirk on her face that I don't like. I think she's planning something big so everybody be prepared" Kurai said with all seriousness in her voice as she continued eating. Feeling the tension in the air, Naruto decided to break it by asking if anybody had a plan on how to get to Suna. Itachi then spoke up saying that he and Kurai had a plan.

"Kurai-chan and I will be gone all day tomorrow. We will need to leave early in the morning to put our plan in action, so don't worry about us not being here tomorrow" Itachi stated as Kurai smiled a little as Itachi used the -chan honorific behind her name. Agreeing they all went to sleep to wake up for the next day.

_*the next day*_

Naruto and Hinata woke up to find Itachi and Kurai already gone. Not use to having the house to themselves, they quickly ate and went out to train using their new demon style jutsus. Noticing their teams approaching, they quickly hid the new jutus and walked with them to the mission's room where they all noticed that Tsunade wasn't looking too good. Both had missions today so they said to be careful and went with their teams on their missions. Both returned around the same time and decided to stay inside today. Heading home, they agreed to watch a movie together in the entertainment room. Popping popcorn, they sat down and enjoyed their time together, kissing, hugging and being with each other.

_*the next day*_

After Naruto and Hinata went to sleep waiting for Itachi and Kurai to come home, they woke to find a note left on the table. Fearing it was another riddle, Naruto relaxed when he realized it was a note from Kurai. The note said, "Pack lots of water and sunscreen because we're on our way to sand land. Pack some clothes and stuff for us too and I'll come pick them up later. Kurai"

Doing as the note said, they begin to pack clothes, food, water, sunscreen, and everything else they needed for the trip. After eating, they quickly made their way to the Academy, where Kakashi was waiting for them outside, reading his book.

"You two have been assigned a special mission to the hidden sand village, Suna, in the wind country. You have been specially picked by the Kazekage and are to leave immediately. Since Konoha is short on shinobi, you Naruto, Hinata, and Kurai will be sent with a guide sent by the Kazekage. Here is your guide" Kakashi said stepping to the side and showing them Itachi who was in disguise. "His name is Karasu Yoru and he will help you get to Suna quickly. Don't give him a hard time…Naruto" Kakashi said his one eye glaring at Naruto who had a frown on his face while Hinata giggled. "That's all for now so have fun" Kakashi said smiling behind his mask when he slightly froze and disappeared.

"Ok, something was weird about Kakashi-sensei" Naruto said looking at the spot his former teacher was at. Shrugging it off, Naruto, Hinata, and Itachi made their way away from the Academy and back to the house to pick up their bags.

"So how long is this 'mission'?" Hinata asked hoping they would have enough time to find what they were seeking in Suna.

"We're allowed to stay 3 days at the most so let's get a move on." Itachi said as he headed for the gate where Kurai was waiting for him with their bags. Naruto and Hinata quickly made it home, grabbed their stuff, and headed towards the Manor to inform Hiashi of their mission. Nodding in understanding, he looked straight at Naruto with a serious look on his face.

"You make sure to keep her safe while she is with you" he demanded, looking the blonde deep into his eyes. Naruto nodded and said,

"With my life" which earned an acceptance from Hiashi who went back into the Manor. Neji, who was on his way from the mission room, followed them to the gate to see them off.

"What's your neighbor doing here, Naruto?" Neji asked glaring at the disguised Uchiha who didn't seem fazed at the slight intimidation. Before Naruto could answer, Itachi spoke up by saying he used to travel all around the nations before settling in Konoha and was the best guide to make sure they got to Suna quickly and safely. Accepting the answer, Neji watched as the 4-man team quickly made their way through the forest, thinking about how Hinata seemed different but didn't know how. While he was watching them go off, no one was watching the mysterious figure dart into the woods on the Hyuuga property to where the 2-stories house was standing. Opening an unlocked window, the figure quickly sneaked in through the window and started to look around.

"If I'm going to bust them, then I will need proof" Hanabi muttered out loud as she started checking the rooms. "Grr, he must have left some kind of clothing here?" as she begin opening the closet and drawers. "Bingo, this will do nicely. I'll like to see them wiggle their way out of this one. They can't say its Naruto's because it's too big. They are going down and that position will be rightfully mind" Hanabi said as she stuck her findings in a bag and slipped back out the window, closing it behind her. However, Hanabi was also unaware of someone else in the house who witnessed all she had done and said.

"Oh sweet Hanabi, you have let the position of heiress run to your head and that's why it was taken from you. You're mother knew this would happen and did what she did" another mysterious voice said coming out of the shadows.

'_I promised your mother that I would intervene when needed. Should I do something about Hanabi now?'_ the mysterious figure thought looking out the window and noticed something in a tree. A familiar gray cat with black stripes running down its back was sleeping in a tree motionless.

"Entering the dream world, I see. I guess I will see what you have in store since you wanted to prove yourself useful," the mysterious figure said smiling and doing some quick hand seals. "_Demon Style: Demon Illusion_" and all signs of a fourth person living there disappeared. Nodding, the figure placed a small stone above the entrance in the door way. "There it should arrive as soon as they return" the voice said and simply disappeared with a light glow.


	8. Desert Fox

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Chapter Six- _Desert Fox_

"So, how did you get the mission to Suna, anyway?" Naruto asked as they quickly made their way through the top of the trees.

"We actually lucked up" Kurai said as they stopped just before entering wind country. "We found a messenger bird that was asking for you two to go to Suna as quickly as possible. Itachi-kun just added…a few minor details to it."

Naruto and Hinata looked at the pair when Kurai said "minor details." "How did you get the letter in the first place?" they asked as they stepped foot into the wind country.

"It wasn't easy. The hawk was flying too high for us to jump up and catch so I had to henge into a cat and then had Itachi throw me at the bird several times before we were able to get it down. Then using his sharingan, Itachi calmed the bird down, read and edited the note, and sent the bird on its way."

"Wow that was a lucky break. I was surprised Tsunade baa-chan let us go, you know with the whole sexy jutsu incident" Naruto smiled and thinking about the show that Itachi and Konohamaru caught on film. All four of them started laughing as they made their way quickly through the desert. As they ran over the hot sand, Naruto saw a shadow fly over him, making him look up and notice something that made him scowl. "Hey guys, remember how you were talking about taking down the messenger hawk…do you think you can do it again?"

The group looked at Naruto, noticing Naruto's point of view and quickly looked up. Flying above them, was Konoha's fastest messenger hawk that seemed to be on a route to Suna. "Something tells me that message isn't good news" Kurai stated, glaring at the hawk that was quickly flying away while Itachi just watched the bird as it flew to its destination.

"It's going too fast for you to nab, Kurai-chan unless you have the sharingan I think we're going to have to let this one go" Itachi said looking down at Kurai with his sharingan activated. Kurai stood quiet for a second before a smile grew on her face.

"It may be too fast for us, but not for you. I have a plan but we will need the help of Naruto and Hinata and need to hurry" Kurai stated quickly bounding after the speedy bird with the others following.

"So what's your plan?" Naruto asked looking up at the speck that was the hawk.

"I want to try and combine our abilities to capture the bird."

The other three frowned as they wondered it that was even possible. "Will it work?" Hinata asked looking at Kurai, astonishment shown on her face.

"Won't know till we try" she said, with a big grin on her face. "Okay, here is the plan. Itachi-kun needs to use his sharingan to focus and watch the movements of the hawk."

Itachi watched the hawk and nodded as he catches every muscle that twitched.

"All right, now I will channel my chakra through him and try and take some of his so we can combine our abilities and be able to read what the note says."

"Is that even possible?" Naruto asked looking at Hinata who just slightly shrugged and looked back at him.

"We'll see" and Kurai started to fuel chakra into Itachi while at the same time absorbing his. Curious as to what Kurai was thinking, Hinata linked with her and felt an extreme burst of energy shoot through her. Hinata felt like something inside of her locked away and hidden was finally freed as she felt a warm sensation take over her. Hearing Kurai gasp, she guessed that she felt the same thing too when their minds linked.

"You okay Hinata-chan and Kurai-chan?" Naruto asked, noticing how both girls gasped and seemed to have vacant looks. Nodding slightly, everybody looked up at the hawk that was nothing but a tiny speck now…at least to Naruto.

"It worked I can see the hawk clearly from right here" Kurai said, activating her byakugan and noticed the details of the hawk instead of just its body heat. Hinata also could see the hawk clearly and focused her attention on the message it was carrying. Focusing, Hinata could read the letter attached to the bird's leg almost clearly and stated what it said out loud:

"_Kazekage of the Wind country, _

_Please hold Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, and two unknown shinobi for questioning for the sudden comatose of the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure. They are to be captured and locked away until fellow ANBU can escort them safely back to Konoha. Thank you for your cooperation."_

_Sincerely, _

_Danzo, the 6__th__ Hokage_

Beside them, Naruto and Itachi started muttering curses.

"Who in the world is this Danzo idiot and why does he say he is the 6th Hokage?" Kurai said frowning as she let go of Itachi, her chakra still flowing through him.

"Bad news" Itachi and Naruto said at the same time thinking about what they know and heard about Danzo.

"We got to catch that messenger hawk now." Itachi said fueling more chakra to his legs and chasing after the feathered foe with the others close behind. Finally catching up, they followed it at a steady pace trying to figure out how to get the message.

"Why don't we try the same thing you two did to take down the first messenger bird?" Naruto suggested as they continued watching and tailing the bird.

"We're short on time and only have one shot. Besides it's flying faster than the one we caught and I don't think I will be able to pinpoint its location. What will we do?" Kurai wondered, concerned for the group.

"What if Itachi-san was to henge into a cat and Naruto-kun was to throw him using chakra to send him higher so that Itachi-san is able to bring the bird down. Then we go catch Itachi-san and the bird."

Kurai and Naruto looked at Hinata after she told them her idea. "That…just might work. It's a good idea Hinata, but the question that needs to be answered is will Itachi-kun actually do it?" Kurai looked up at the slowly disappearing speck that was the bird. Continuing their run, they didn't realize that there was something different about the group.

"Yea, she has a point, Hinata-chan I mean we already put Itachi-san through enough…do you think he will do it?" Naruto mumbled remembering all the things Itachi had been through the pass week.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" a voice said snapping them from their thoughts.

"Oh, sorry Itachi…kun?"

Kurai, Hinata, and Naruto looked around for the Uchiha but didn't see him.

"Hey Itachi, where did you disappear to?" Naruto asked trying to remember the last time he saw the quiet shinobi.

"Look down" was what the trio heard and they followed its advice and looked down to see a black cat where Itachi was standing.

"Is that-" Hinata started but was finished by the cat when it said, "yes, it's me…Itachi"

Naruto started twitching and coughed as if hiding something while Hinata and Kurai just looked at the Itachi cat with curiosity and wonder.

"Wow, Itachi-kun, you look... cute as a cat. I mean, like "I want to pet you" cute" Kurai stated hand outstretched as if to pet him, just then everybody heard the weird sounds coming from Naruto. "Hey, Naruto, it isn't funny or nice to laugh at Itachi-kun like that I mean he basically doing it for you and-" Kurai angrily glared at the chuckling blonde who quickly sobered up.

"I'm not laughing at Itachi I just thought about a time when I, Sakura, and Sasuke had to wear cat ears for a secret mission and I just visualized the look of horror of Sasuke's face when he learned he had to wear them. Actually, Itachi makes a better cat than Sasuke does" Naruto stated, blushing a bit at how Kurai was about to chew him out.

"Um, guys, the hawk is getting away" Hinata simply said, making everybody remember the reason for the henge in the first place.

"Okay Itachi-kun, I'm going to fuel you with some more of my chakra so you can have the natural abilities of a real feline. Naruto-san, I need you to send him high in the air where I and Hinata will be waiting to catch him when he brings the bird down" Kurai stated picking up the Uchiha cat, fueling him with her chakra, and absent-mind stroking his ears as they quickly chased after the bird. Sweat-dropping, Naruto made shadow clones just as the sun started going down and the day was getting colder.

"It's now or never" Itachi said from Kurai's arms as he jumped into one of the clone's hands. Then Naruto, using his clones as leverage, made a tower to the sky where the real Naruto was ready to throw Itachi.

"Are you ready?" Naruto asked as he felt that his clones were about to give way. Nodding Itachi, fueled with Kurai's chakra, braced himself for what was about to happen next. "Here goes nothing" Naruto yelled throwing Itachi high in the air at the bird while Hinata and Kurai sped off to catch both of them if the plan went well. It did. Itachi manage to snag on to the bird's legs and bring it down into the waiting arms of the kunoichi who quickly caught them and held on to the bird's wings so it wouldn't fly away. "You caught them" Naruto said, using the Kyuubi's chakra to catch up with the rest of the group. Breathing hard from using up a lot of chakra, the group nodded while Hinata tried and calmed down the squawking and struggling ball of feathers in her arms.

"You okay, Itachi-kun?" Kurai asked the cat righting itself in her arms and looked up at her.

"I'm fine, I feel strangely weird with your chakra running through me but I'm fine. Can you put me down? I'm about to change back" he asked getting ready to jump down. Nodding and placing the cat on the ground, the group watched as Itachi turned back into his normal self…well almost normal self.

"…from the way you three are staring at me, I'm going to assume that using Kurai's chakra had some side-effects" Itachi stated as everybody, even the hawk, stared at him with wide eyes.

"Well, you have cat ears and a tail, your nails are now claws, your canine teeth are slightly longer, and your eyes are slit" Naruto said pulling out a mirror from his bag so Itachi could see for himself. Looking in the mirror, he sighed and felt the black, furry, triangular shaped ears that was sprouting from the top of his head and tried to make them twitch to see if he could control them. They did. Looking behind him, he noticed a black tail, about 3 feet in length, sprouting from where his tail bone was and watch as he curled and uncurled it. Looking back in the mirror, he opened his mouth and noticed his canine teeth was indeed longer and he noticed his nails, on the hand holding the mirror, were longer and curved much like a cat's claws. Looking at his reflection through slit eyes, he sighed again and handed Naruto back the mirror.

Sakura, Ino, Tenten: KAWAII

Me: What the heck? What are you three doing here?

Sakura: Aw, Itachi is so cute.

Ino: Yea, but Sasuke-kun is still cuter.

Tenten: Speak for yourself. Itachi-san is HOT!

Me: He sure is…and he's taken so all of you leave him alone.

Tenten: Aw (leaves)

Sakura and Ino: Doesn't matter, because Sasuke-kun will soon be mine (leave)

Me: That's what YOU think *insert evil laugh and disappearing in poof of smoke*

"I'm sorry" Kurai said softly, sadness etched on her face as she was near tears. "I didn't know that it would have this kind of effect. I thought it would be like when Naruto-san fueled chakra to Hinata and-"

Just than a red flash covered Itachi and disappeared along with the feline attributes. "It's okay Kurai-chan I'll just use a henge to appear normal again. I don't mind the ears and things, in fact, I feel more connected to you now can I see the letter please?" Itachi said to a shocked and extremely confused group who was trying to figure out Itachi's weird behavior.

'_I guess after all he been through, he just learned to accept things easier'_ the group thought as Hinata held on to the hawk while Itachi swiftly took the message as not to be pecked by the protesting feathered fiend. While Hinata stroked the hawk's head, instantly calming it, Kurai summoned some fire and destroyed the letter Itachi handed her. Pulling out a scroll, Itachi begin to write a message on it, using Naruto's back to write it, explaining to Gaara about their situation and that they would need help with finding a scroll. Letting it dry, Itachi carefully rolled up the scroll, attached it to the bird, and using his sharingan used a genjutsu so that the bird would deliver the letter directly to Gaara.

"Do you think it was wise, telling him the truth about you and the need for his help?" Hinata asked as they watch the hawk fly away into the setting sun. Itachi simply nodded and continued to walk at a steady pace as everybody followed tired and hungry and thinking about when they were going to rest for the night. As soon as the sun fully set and the moon began to rise Itachi stop and said now would be a good time to rest for the night. Sighing in relief, Hinata and Kurai unraveled the sleeping bags while Naruto and Itachi got a fire started. Stomachs growling, everybody took some chilled onigirls from their bags, warmed them up over the fire, and begin to eat. As they were about to sit down, they spotted something lying on the ground in the distance.

"It looks like…a cat?" Kurai frowned, looking at the thing with her byakugan.

"Should we go see what it is? Naruto asked openly as he noticed nobody moved to investigate the thing.

"Uh…" Hinata and Itachi said, remembering what happened the last time they went to go investigate a strange presence. Realizing why they're were hesitating, Naruto said that he would go instead which earned a protest from Hinata. They all finally agreed to go together, saying that it would easier in a group to defend them. Making their way forward in the desert, they did in fact come across a cat lying on a rock, looking sick and frail.

"What kind of cat is this?" Naruto wondered out loud as he noticed the cat's usual fur color and accessories. The cat was white with a fluffy tail, spiked collar, and red goggles on its head in between two black ears as one side where was covering its right eye. It had a black streak running along its back but a green underbelly. Its paws were unusual as it look like it was wearing green and black striped socks on it left fore-paw and right back-paw. The other two paws were straight black. The cat's green eye was slit and a frown was shown against its red muzzle as it seemed agitated for being in the desert. The cat looked up at the group and curled into a ball, a weird grumbling sound emitting from it as it shivered slightly.

"Aw, the poor thing must be hungry, thirsty, and cold" Hinata said softly, picking up the shivering cat who didn't so much as move as she held him in her arms. Seeing as the cat didn't do anything, the group took it back to where they were settling for the night. They feed the cat an onigirl which it wolfed down quickly, put some water in a bowl found in Itachi's bag which seemed to disappear as it left the canteen, and placed a small blanket next to the fire where the cat curled up, a satisfied smile on its face.

"I wonder what a cat is doing out here in the middle of the desert anyway?" Kurai said squinting at said animal as if it was going to rear up and attack. Instead of attacking, the cat got up, walked about 5 feet, and started pawing at the sand as if looking for something. Wondering about the strange behavior, Naruto and Itachi begin to dig into the ground where the cat was pawing until they struck something that surprised the both of them.

"What did you boys find?" Hinata called out when she and Kurai noticed the boys stop digging and pull something out of the ground.

"A giant scroll" Naruto called back as he and Itachi pulled the scroll from the hole they just made.

"…can you repeat that?" Kurai looked at Hinata who was just as confused and stood up to go see if she had heard right.

"A giant scroll" Itachi repeats holding the scroll under one arm and going back towards the girls with Naruto and the cat in tow.

It seems all that had happen was getting to Kurai who angrily shouted out her frustration.

"Okay, first Itachi-kun becomes a cat humanoid, although that was partially my fault, trying to catch a stupid hawk that was delivering bad news about us to the Kazekage. Second, we find a cat, A CAT of all creatures, in the middle of the freaking desert. Third, said CAT starts pawing at the exact spot where a giant hidden scroll just happens to be and-" Kurai was about to continue to rant when Hinata intervened with a look of surprise and joy on her face.

"That's it. That's what the riddle meant.

"Huh?" Kurai, who stopped ranting, turned to look at the dark-haired kunoichi behind her.

"What riddle?" Naruto asked, forgetting all about the riddle they found the other day.

"The riddle on the scroll found in the Hokage's office, Naruto-kun" Itachi sighed as he remembered all too well what he had to do for them to obtain the scroll. Going to her backpack, Hinata pulled out the 1st scroll, opened it up and began to read the last four lines of the riddle:

_From there on out, to find the soul,_

_You must first locate the 2__nd__ hidden scroll._

_To find what you seek, you need a helping hand,_

_For he doesn't sleep in the village of sand._

"That scroll. That scroll must be what we need to find the 'soul'. And the cat was the riddle, not Gaara-san, because cats don't normally live in the desert and I don't believe it lives in Suna either." Hinata said rolling up the scroll and putting back in her backpack.

"Or maybe the cat is only part of the riddle and we will also need Bandit's help since he did ask for us personally."

Everybody stared at Kurai, even the cat, with weird looks on their faces after she said that.

"What?" she asked noticing the looks pointed at her.

"Bandit?" Naruto asked wondering where Kurai kept getting the unusual nicknames for people.

"Well the black rings around his eyes remind me of a raccoon and people usually call raccoons "bandits" so I chose that nickname for him."

Not knowing how to respond to that, the group just shrugged and placed the scroll beside the sleeping bags where they turned in for the night. Tired, they forgot all about the cat as they drifted off into the world of unconsciousness to be woken up by the first rays of sunlight on their faces…and Naruto's screams.

_*the next day*_

"AHH" Naruto screamed loudly waking everybody up in time to see him jump out of his sleeping bag and do a weird jig on the cool sand.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" Hinata asked eyes wide as she watched her boyfriend almost jump out of his clothes as he leapt about 5 feet in the air still doing a jig. Kurai and Itachi were just silently looking at him as he finally calmed down enough to stop dancing and look at them. Breathing hard, he managed to say in between breaths,

"…there…is…something…in…my…sleeping…bag."

Hearing a weird sound and noticing Naruto's sleeping bag move, they watched as a snake, a little over 3 feet in length, slithered out, flick its long black tongue, and proceed to slither away deeper into the desert. Hearing snickering, Naruto turned to look at Kurai who had her back to him, folding up her sleeping bag, but he could see the way her shoulders shook in silent laughter making him frown. "It's not funny I could have been seriously bitten by that thing" Naruto stated angrily as Kurai continued to laugh.

"That was nothing but a glossy snake. They are very submissive and are non-venomous so you wouldn't have been hurt at all" Itachi said, with a yawn as he and Hinata followed Kurai's example and begin to pack up their things.

"I believe it was just looking for a warm place to sleep, Naruto-kun" Hinata said, trying to cheer up the now frowning blonde who was glaring at Kurai's back.

"Oh sure, of all the people it chose me" Naruto muttered as he went to grab his sleeping bag.

"**Isn't it a little early in the morning to be dancing?"** Kyuubi asked jokingly and then laugh as his response earned him a growl from Naruto who quickly put up his sleeping bag and started looking around.

"Hey where did that weird cat get to?" he asked out loud, making everybody look around too.

"Who knows? You might have scared him away with your silly dance" Kurai said only to be hushed by Hinata as she noticed Naruto frowning again. Sighing, Kurai watched as Itachi put the sleeping bags away and pick up the scroll. Underneath the scroll, was a piece of paper that had something scribbled on it that looked like a message as Kurai picked up the piece of paper and begin to read:

"_Seeing as how Kurai was acting yesterday, I decided to hide the fact that I could talk and leave you a message. You still will need help from Gaara but this scroll will help you get to your destination faster. Once you open the scroll you will realize that it's a summoning contract for cats, but not just any cat—two tailed cats. After signing the contract, you can summon the bakeneko to take you to Suna faster than on foot. However, they only trust those who they connect with so, Itachi and Kurai are the only two allowed to sign the contract. After that, Itachi is to become the new holder of the contract and can either carry it or have it summoned to him or Kurai for she is the secondary holder. Enjoy the rest of your journey." _

"_P.S. Make sure Naruto doesn't freak out when he finds there's a snake in his sleeping bag. It's harmless." _

"What a morning" Naruto sighed watching as Kurai burned the note on the dying fire.

"Do you think we should do it, Itachi-kun?" Kurai asked as Itachi unraveled the scroll to show that it was in fact a summoning scroll for bakeneko as the picture at the bottom showed a cat standing on two legs with two tails. Itachi looked at her, smiled, bit his thumb, wiped the blood onto his other fingers, and soiled the clean scroll with his bloody hand print. Nodding, Kurai followed suit and also "signed" the summoning contract right next to Itachi's print. "Cool…now what do we do?" Kurai asked for Hinata never signed an animal contract or seen someone summon an animal before. Chuckling, Itachi made some quick hand seals and brought his hand to the sand. "Kuchiyose no jutsu" and a large black cat, a little taller than Itachi stood in front of him tails swishing lightly.

"You called master?" he said as he looked at the person who summoned him. Naruto nodded while Hinata and Kurai's eyes got big in excitement.

"Oh, I am going to have _fun_ summoning bakenekos." Kurai said and begin to do the same process Itachi just done to summon the monster cat and summoned a smaller bakeneko who was a dark shade of purple and black.

"You called mistress?" she answered as she bowed a little to Kurai who was frowning slightly.

"No need for the mistress title, just call me Kurai" she stated as she stopped bowing and looked up at Kurai.

"How can we be of service Kurai-sama?" she asked looking around at their surroundings.

"Can you can carry me and my friends to Suna. It's not far about a day and a half away on foot" Itachi explained to his summoning who nodded in answer.

"Hop on" the summoning said, as they got down on all four, flames emitting from their tails as they let out a loud roar.

"Awesome" Kurai said as she and Itachi hop on the back of his summoning while Naruto and Hinata did the same on the back of hers.

"Hold on" they cats said as they broke out into a run across the quickly rising temperature of the desert.

"We'll be there by the end of the day at this rate" Kurai yelled as she hung on to Itachi's stomach and whooped with the wind blowing her hair back from the speed of the bakenekos. All four then heard the summoning's scuff and pictured them rolling their eyes.

"End of the day? We'll be there within a few hours after we take off" they said, a smile heard in their voice as their paws started emitting flames.

"Huh, what do you mean when we take OFF-" Hinata was asking until she feels a jolt as the bakenekos jump into the air and start flying through the sky faster than they moved on the ground. (Like Kirara on Inuyasha)

"Wow, this is so cool" Naruto said as the group looked down at the desert life below, passing cacti and watching the desert animals try and escape the rising heat of the desert. In the distance, the group could see Suna and something coming towards them from that direction. As it got closer, they heard a squawk and watched as the hawk they caught before screech again and fly far away from them, clearly spooked by the two flying cat, as the group laughed.

"Okay, let's land before we have the Suna ANBU trying to attack us. I don't think they will take two unidentified flying cats landing near the Kazekage lightly" Itachi stated calmly as the two summoning's slowed down and landed about ¼ of a mile away from Suna.

Thanking the two bakenekos they disappeared back to their homes, with the summoning scroll, as the group continued their walk to the sand village. After landing and walking the rest of the way to Suna, the group was waiting in front of the hidden sand village's entrance by noon, waiting for the Kazekage's approval to let them through. Kurai decided to pass the time by annoying the guards with stupid questions and having glaring contest with them as they were trying to keep their composure and not attack the smirking dark-haired kunoichi. Just as one of them growled and moved as to attack, three people suddenly appeared in front of the group in the forms of Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara. Naruto greeted the sand siblings and introduce them to Hinata, Itachi or "Yoru", and Kurai. The sand siblings look from Hinata to Kurai and back before looking at Naruto with questioning looks.

"I'll explain later" is his only reply as he noticed Kurai knowing smirk and knew she was about to do or say something wrong.

"I like you something tells me we will connect easily" she said looking at Temari. "I'm not sure about you yet. You seem to have this smug aura but got nothing to back it up" glaring at Kankuro who was frowning. Then her sight turned to Gaara and everybody instantly got a bad feeling as they noticed how her eyes seemed to glow. "Hey Bandit, how you enjoying life as the Kazekage?" she asked earning her a silence from all around. Everybody had shocked looks on their faces all except Gaara who looked slightly confused.

"Bandit, did you call me Bandit?" he asked looking at her smile, her white teeth showing as she slightly nodded.

"How DARE you insult the Kazekage like that?" the guard, who was itching for a battle said, and went to try and attack her but didn't get far. As soon as he got within range, he met a chakra force field that threw him back about 7 feet onto the sandy ground.

"Oh please "Tiny" you're going to have to do better than that to attack me." Kurai smirked moving in between Itachi and Naruto, who was holding Hinata's hand.

"Tiny?" he asked glaring at the smirking kunoichi who was looking down at him. Putting her hands around Itachi and Naruto, she said with an evil grin, "because you sure won't be able to please any females with what you have."

Hearing gasping, the guard let out a roar of anger right before Kurai teleported the group to balcony of the Gaara's office.

"Kurai I can't believe you said that" Hinata exclaimed stunned at how bold her counter-part was being in front of Gaara and the guards.

"It's about time somebody knocked his ego down a few notches besides I was just kidding." she said, examining her nails with interest. Not long after teleporting there, Gaara and his siblings joined them, Temari and Kankuro in attack position while Gaara looked at Naruto. Sighing, Naruto explained to them about Kurai's existence as they stepped into Gaara's office. Standing, the group listened silently as he explained all except Kurai who was looking at the siblings with a concentrated look. After he finished, they all looked at Kurai who stared at them back.

"How do we know she and _Itachi_ isn't a spy who is controlling you to get secrets from Suna" Kankuro sneered looking Kurai up and down.

"Oh please, you can't compare to Itachi-kun or your brother so you need to stop looking because you will never touch this" she smiled earning a gasp and blush from Hinata, a sweat drop from Itachi, an angry growl from Kankuro, a silent snicker from Temari, and two confused looks from Naruto and Gaara.

"What is she talking about Kankuro?" Gaara asked, making Kankuro cough and stutter as he tried to figure out a way to explain. He couldn't. Thankfully for him he was saved by Temari, still chuckling, who quickly said, "don't worry about it Gaara she didn't mean anything."

Kurai rolled her eyes as she saw Gaara nod although confusion was still visible on his face.

"You got to love the byakugan since it can see through more than just chakra" Kurai muttered loud enough for Hinata to hear, who gasped, blushed, and found the floor more interesting as thoughts of a certain blonde went through her head.

"Will you help us then Gaara?" Naruto asked quickly before he could ask what Kurai had said for he heard her and was blushing too from impure thoughts. Looking at Kankuro, who was frowning, and then at Temari, whose face was blank but could see a smile tugging at her lips, turned to Naruto and nodded once. Sighing in relief, he asked if they got his message and he said he did and sent a reply stating that Naruto was no danger to any of the Kage's and would not be restrained.

"So why did you call us here anyway Gaara-sama?" Hinata asked then she noticed Gaara's frown.

"Please, just call me Gaara. Adding -sama or –Kazekage to it makes me feel old" he said with a gentle voice.

"Okay, Gaara-san, so why did you ask for us specifically?" she asked again. Gaara looked at Temari who nodded and looked at the door.

"I'll do it" Kurai then activated her byakugan to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. Blinking, she smirked and then whispered something to Naruto who grinned and nodded softly. Putting their index finger to their lips they quietly made their way to the door. Gathering up chakra they each made a fireball in their hand and slowly disappeared just as Itachi and Hinata realized what they were doing. Hinata and Itachi then begin to sing the same song when they pulled the prank on the other teams:

_What do you do with some nosy ninjas?_

_Disappear and give them what they deserve._

_What do you do with some nosy ninjas?_

_Scare them all away…_

Just then Naruto and Kurai, who were invisible, opened the door and screamed, "Those who listen on private conversations will be PUNISHED." The site was hilarious as the sand siblings, Itachi, Hinata, Kurai, and Naruto watched as the guards from the gate, the one who tried to attack Kurai and his friend, let out high-pitched screams and ran down the hall all the way outside back to the entrance. Kurai and Naruto closed the door, turned visible, and laughed until their sides hurt and they were doubled over with Hinata and Itachi joining in, not as loud and wild like the two rolling on the ground. The sand siblings just stared at the cackling group as they tried to catch their breath and get back to business. The Suna guards burst through the door to see the scene in front of them.

"Kazekage, sir?" they asked not sure what to do. Gaara just nodded saying everything was okay and dismissed them.

"I take it that you four pulled this kind of prank before" Temari stated as he noticed how they seemed to be in synced when scaring the guards. Lightly laughing, Hinata told them about what they did to the teams back in Konoha as they quickly regained their composure and waited for Gaara to explain. Smiling a little, Gaara then explained about a dream he had involving an all too familiar gray cat that told him that he needed to take them to his favorite secret place and that all would be revealed soon.

"So will you four accompany me this evening for it seems these dreams hold clues that seem to be leading to something big?

"But of course we will accompany you, Ban-" Kurai started to say but her mouth was covered by Itachi's hand as Naruto finished her sentence with Gaara.

"We would love to help besides we're already here and maybe some things will be cleared up about all the riddles."

Thanking them, Gaara got up and started walking towards the door, with the others following him.

"Are you hungry after your trip? I need to pick up some food for the trip and I also want to know what you been doing since the last time we met, Naruto" Gaara suggested as they made their way to the kitchen as Kurai answered saying "pranks, pranks, and more pranks.

"My favorite has to be the naked Tsunade clones prank"

This statement caused Kankuro to trip and nearly fall as Itachi sighed shaking his head as the group laughed and filled Gaara in on their life in Konoha until the sun started setting.

"It seems you been keeping yourself busy Naruto" Gaara stated calmly as he and the rest of the group headed for the village's opening. As they approached the guards, one of them spoke up with a frown on his face.

"Sir, are you sure it's wise to leave with them-" Gaara cut him off with a glare and stated angrily, "these are my friends and I am in their debt for all they had done, not just for me but for Suna also. I trust them with my life."

He then continued to walk ahead, Kankuro and Temari beside him and the rest of the group quickly following behind.

"So where we headed, Bandit?" Kurai stated, dodging Itachi's hand as he tried to stop her.

"Why do you keep calling him that?" Kankuro stated angrily, not liking the way Kurai treated Gaara, like a commoner.

"Because although he is the Kazekage, he is still human and wants a deep connection with people so by giving him a nickname it makes him feel like a regular person instead of someone who needs to be fully respected 24/7."

Kankuro just blinked and muttered something about choosing a different nickname.

"Well the original nickname I had for him would mostly likely get me in a world of trouble, so I substituted it for "Bandit".

"What was the original nickname?" Kankuro asked, curiosity getting the best of him as Naruto, Hinata, and Itachi moved closer to the grinning kunoichi.

"At first I was thinking 'demon' but quickly scratched that so I had chosen Big B" she said calmly and snickered at the looks of confusion all around.

"Why that?" Temari asked not seeing the connection in time as Kurai's smirk grew larger.

"Well" she said, drawing out the word, "he had a tanuki demon sealed inside him and since the host of the biju shares some kind of characteristics with their demon-"

Three pair of eyes grew wide as they figured out what was about to be said and quickly moved into action.

"His nickname was about a tanuki's b-" Kurai never got to complete that sentence as three pair of hands, belonging to Itachi, Temari, and Kankuro slapped over her mouth ending her speech.

"Kurai, how about we just stick to the nickname "Bandit" and forget about the other one." Itachi sighed, feeling physically drained as the group continued in silence for about an hour.

"So, Gaara, where exactly are we heading anyway?" Naruto asked, breaking the silence for it was getting to him.

"Here" as he stopped walking and faced the group, who looked around at their surroundings.

"Wow, it's beautiful, Gaara-san" Hinata exclaimed breathlessly as she was taken by the beauty of the oasis in front of them. The group went over to the water, dipped their hands in and drank the refreshing liquid.

"Ah, this is good. This is an awesome place to visit, Gaara" as said redhead nodded and placed his gourd down on a nearby rock where Kankuro and Temari did the same with their things. Hinata sat up and took in her surroundings but paused when she noticed something unusual at the end of the oasis.

"Hey Gaara, what is that on the rock above the water?" Naruto asked drawing everybody's attention to her line of sight. There perched on a rock on the other end of the cooling oasis was a skull, an animal skull by the shape of it. "It looks like a fox skull" Itachi informed her trying to see in the darkening night. Suddenly the sound of a whimper could be heard in the silent night as the group turned to look at Naruto and Hinata, who were crying.

"Why are you two crying?" Temari asked in a gentle voice while Kankuro just looked uncomfortable.

"I...don't…know" they both managed to say between whimpers as they looked at the skull. Inside, Naruto was dealing with an extremely sad and almost crying Kyuubi.

"**Rest in peace, gentle vixen"** he said softly as he didn't notice Naruto looking up at him.

'_Hey fox, are you the one making me cry?'_ he asked, looking at the bright eyed fox who finally noticed the loud blonde.

"**What? NO!"** he said, eyes instantly drying and glaring at the smirking blonde who he knew didn't believe him.

'_Whatever you big softy'_ he said and refocus as he noticed Hinata crying, which made him sad inside. Tears weld up at the corner of Naruto's eyes, which fell and hit the water creating a ripple effect on the smooth surface. Hinata's tears soon joined his as they felt connected to the skull for some reason.

'_It must be Kyuubi-san's chakra'_ Hinata stated in her mind, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Naruto and Hinata then stood up from the edge of oasis as the others gasp and looked down at the clear water. In the water where their tears had hit the surface were pearl-like stones that were floating on top of the surface. Curious, the group picked a few of them up and examined them. The stone was light blue with a liquid like center that moved like blue fire. Hearing movement behind them, they turned in time to see something slither over the sandy terrain.

"Have you come to torment me some more?" Naruto asked angrily as the glossy snake from earlier, flicker its black tongue, head raise, as if wondering what the angry blonde was yelling about. Hinata giggled as Naruto made a weird dance and shooing motions at the snake that didn't budge while the others watch in fascination, not at the snake's bravery but Naruto's failed attempts at scaring the snake. Grumbling, Naruto missed when Hinata's face expression changed to one of deep thought and refocused as she created a small flame in her hand and threw it near the snake, effectively scaring it away. The group had looks of surprise as the fire died down and disappeared then turned those looks to Hinata who had a similar expression.

"I swear we're all becoming pyro-maniacs" Kurai muttered jokingly as the group watched Hinata create some more fire, bigger and similar to Naruto's fox fire, and throw it on the ground in front of her where it burned brightly before she stomped it out. Sighing, the group looked up at the skull as some of the beams from the moon shined down on it, giving it an eerie but beautiful glow to it making it seem to be fueled with power.

"It's so sad but beautiful, Gaara-san" Hinata said as more tears begin to fall along with Naruto's as they said a blessing for the fox.

"What do you mean?" he asked wondering what was so beautiful that he did.

"The skull on the rock over there, didn't you put it there?"

With a shake of his head, the group frowned and wondered how the skull was put there because it was unnatural for it to be there without the need of assistance. Bowing their heads in thought, Naruto and Hinata gasped as they watched as two lotus-like flowers, one a pale yellow while the other a pale blue, grew right in front of their eyes on the scorched soil.

"Now that is very interesting" Temari stated as she watched the two pick up the flowers and turn them around in their hands. Smiling, they picked up one of the pearl-like stones, place it on top of the flower, and set it in the water. As more tears fell from the lovebird's faces and more flowers grew, Kurai and Itachi followed suit as the sand siblings placed a basket of fruit, onigirls, and small toys on the water.

"These are our offerings for the spirit of the fox. May it rest in peace" as they watched the offerings float on top of the water towards the skull. Smiling, the group went to grab their things (gourd, fan, puppets, backpacks) and was about to leave when a low rumble drew their attention back to the skull, that was glowing and floating slightly as a split in the rock opened up to form an opening.

The group just stood there in shock and silence as the skull sat back down, on the left side of the split, as if beckoning them to enter.

"So, who's going first?" Kurai suggested breaking the silence as she walked towards the oasis, snapping everybody out of their trance.

"I don't think it's a good idea to go in there" Kankuro said as he watched as Naruto and Hinata joined Kurai at the edge of the oasis.

"I know, but I feel like I should go. Like it's calling out to me" Hinata said softly, walking on top of the water towards the opening with Naruto beside her.

"I know what you mean, Hinata-chan" Naruto agreed as the others followed behind, wondering about the two strange behaviors. As soon as the group of seven entered the opening and walked a few feet inside, a voice called out, echoing against the surprisingly spacious cave they stepped in.

"Who has entered the sacred tomb of my home?" Kyuubi whimpered as he felt a strange power emitting from the voice as the group introduce who they were.

"Why have you come here?"

They then stated about a dream and about finding the scroll when the voice interrupted.

"You're here about finding the "soul", am I correct?"

They all nodded although they weren't sure if the voice could see until he asked them to show him the scroll. Hinata, surprised, took the scroll out of her backpack and set it in front of her where the group, noticed their offerings in a pile on the floor. There was silence as they waited for the voice to say something. What they weren't expecting was two giant white fluffy tails to pick up the scroll and offerings and withdraw back into the dark.

"You are who you say you are and can now be trusted" the voice said, gentler than before, as the split behind them closed leaving a tiny slit bringing in some moonlight. "Come forth, there is nothing to be afraid of or to trip over" as they did as the voice said until they spotted a blue glow up ahead. The closer they got to the light, the more Kyuubi got an uneasy feeling as something big was about to happen.

_**'This power, it's so great and pure almost similar to hers. Is she connected to this being for there can only be one person with this kind of power and that's-'**_

The group finally came to an opening where a large fire was burning with blue flames burning on a bit in the ground that illuminated three bodies sitting on throne-like pillows. That's when they realized what they were looking at were three foxes—a half red/half black vixen was sitting on the left side of the room whereas a slightly larger silver fox with a slight frown on his face sat on the right. However, what grabbed everybody's immediate attention was the fox sitting in the middle of the room, a large white fox with nine tails waving lazily around, giving up an aura of great power and wisdom as he stared down at the group. His silver eyes shined bright in the blue flames as he said in the same voice that led them in,

"Hello young ones, my name is Inari, deity of all the kitsune."

Kyuubi eyes widen in horror and shock as he realized that his vessel was talking with the most powerful and wisest fox known-his god Inari. The group stared in wonder as they looked up at the white fox, who stated he was the deity of all the kitsune.

"Are you really-" Naruto began to ask but suddenly was cloaked in red chakra and roughly knelt down in a bowing position, a shocked look still frozen on his face. Mentally, he was barking at a similarly bowing 9 tailed fox who was arguing back with the angry blonde.

'_Eh, what was that for you baka fox?' _Kyuubi looked down at his container and growled back,

"**Just because I'm stuck in you, doesn't mean I'm still not going to show the deepest respect to my deity so be quiet and show some manners for once in your life." **

Seeing the vacant look in Naruto's eyes, the others guessed he was having a conversation with Kyuubi and feeling a little silly standing, they copied his gesture and bowed down to the deity. Hearing a chuckle, they cautiously looked up at Inari who was smiling down at them.

"You don't have to bow down to me" he said softly, eyes on Naruto who seemed to be struggling to get in control of his body. Slowly, the Kyuubi's chakra recede, letting Naruto get back up on his feet, as he stood next to Hinata who spoke first.

"Excuse me Inari-sama we're sorry for intruding in on your home, bu-"

Inari started laughing, causing Hinata to shrink back in surprise, thinking she said something wrong.

"My dear, you're not intruding for I knew you were coming for a long time now and were expecting you, so no need to apologize."

Nodding, they sat around the blue fire as Inari began to introduce the other two foxes in the room.

"To my left, my daughter and heiress to the throne Yokaze and to my right is Li, the Head of the Temple and my right hand fox. So you eight have come for the secrets of the scroll, yes?"

"Yes, we have Inari-sama" Itachi added as he noticed Kurai out of the corner of his eye, a confused look on her face as she silently counted everybody in the group.

'_Naruto, Hinata, Me, Itachi-kun, Bandit, Kanky, and Tema make up seven…who is the eighth?'_

"The eighth will appear shortly" Inari stated, noticing Kurai's face expression, as he whacked Li upside the head with one of his tails.

"Ow, you know you could have just said its time" Li muttered as he got up from his spot and descended towards the group with Yokaze laughing softly.

"True I could have but that got the message across just as well."

Sighing at his master's playful nature, Li went up to the Sand Siblings and lightly sniffed the air around them.

"These two are human" he said motioning to Kankuro and Temari with his tails before looking at Gaara. "This one was human, but had a demon raccoon-dog in him, so he is mostly a hanyo now."

"What you mean?" Kankuro and Temari asked but were answered by Inari who said he would explain everything in a minute.

"These two are hanyo but didn't have a demon sealed in them but their inner animal was released and merged with them through use of chimera magic."

"Chimera magic?" Itachi stated but didn't say anything else. Last he turned to Naruto and Hinata and took a quick sniff.

"The boy is turning into a hanyo, but still has a red nine tailed fox sealed in him and the girl…" Li sniffed the air and frowned. He sniffed the air and let out a confused yelp as he stared long and hard at Hinata, who had a worried look on her face. Li then got up close and personal to Hinata and took a good whiff of her scent, earning a growl like sound from Naruto who was beside her. Everybody turned to in time to see the light in Naruto's eyes go hazy as he was back inside the cage of the Kyuubi, only this time the fox was doing the yelling.

"**HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND? YOU DON'T EVER GROWL AT THE RIGHT HAND FOX OF MY DEITY, HELL, YOU DON'T EVEN BREATH AROUND HIM…"**

The group sweat-dropped as they imagined the battle going on inside Naruto's mind as two chakras (Naruto and the Kyuubi) seem to swirl and battle around his clearly vacant body. After several more minutes, Naruto's eyes regained their life as he smirked then flinched as the Kyuubi continued yelling inside his head. Inari chuckled as he looked between Li and Naruto and said, "You better back off before you become a fur coat, although it would make a nice gift for her." With Yokaze giggling and Li muttering curses softly, he looked up to Inari and was about to say something when he noticed Inari's nod.

"I know" was all he said as a shocked Li, retook his position next to Inari. Now that everybody has been introduced and confirmed, please have a seat" as 8 fluffy cushions appeared on the ground behind them.

"Who is the extra cushion for?" Naruto asked, ignoring the Kyuubi's talk about manners and being more respectful, when he started to glow a silver light and the voice left his head.

'_Kyuubi, where did you go to now?'_ Naruto then heard a yelp next to him and turned his head in time to see a redhead male with slit eyes, wearing black pants, no shirt, a fox tattoo on his left arm, long nails, fox ears and 9 tails to match bowing down to Inari.

"No needs for the bowing remember?" Inari chuckled as he watched Kyuubi slowly get up, trying not to make eye contact.

"So, why did you bring us here since I'm guessing you're the reason behind the cat and scrolls?" Kurai ignored the growl coming from beside Naruto as she looked up at Inari, who nodded slightly.

"You are correct although my part was only the scrolls. The cat belongs to a friend of mine and I asked for her help in bringing you here.

"So you know what happened between Hinata-chan and Kurai-chan?" Naruto asked before he was whacked upside the head like Li was earlier. "Ow, that hurt you baka fox. What was that for?" glaring at the red nine tails beside him.

"**Manners" **Kyuubi growled and went quiet again as he looked at his god.

"They remind me of you two…" Yokaze said making everybody remember she was in the room too.

"Yes, I know very well what happened although it didn't go according to plans, but that's the thing about life…you can't control it because something is always changing. Now I'm sure you are all wondering what's the point of this whole trip and such but first let me inform you a little about the history of kitsune. Don't worry Naruto-kun it isn't long as I know you hate boring lectures" Naruto blushed at being found out as Inari told them a little bit about the different kind of kitsune, their powers and abilities, their nature, and what happens when they died. "During the life of a kitsune, they are known to have kits either with another kitsune or a human, thus creating hanyou or half demons. The kitsune also pass their powers down to their children as a form of protection. A kitsune can and will eventually die but can be revived or revive someone else through the use of their star ball."

"What's so special about a star ball?" Naruto asked not seeing Kyuubi tail twitch as he looked at the blonde next to him.

"A kitsune's star ball holds the soul of the kitsune and is there most prized possession. By finding and/or keeping a kitsune's soul from him or her you are, in a way, able to control that kitsune.

"WHAT!" Naruto cried out, staring hard at the Kyuubi who somehow manage to advert his gaze from said blonde, as the others held shock expressions on their faces (besides Itachi and Gaara). Sighing, as he could feel Naruto's gaze burn into the side of his head he said,

"**Yes, Kit, I have a star ball too and no I'm not going to let you see it." **

Naruto just pouted and looked ahead, muttering something that sounded like "Kyuubi-teme" that earned a chuckle from Temari and a sigh from Kyuubi. Inari waited till the group was quiet again before standing and looking down at them.

"I going to ask all of you a simple question and I want a truthful answer" Inari said, seriousness heard in his voice that made the Kyuubi sit up straighter still avoiding eye contact. "What is the strongest, purest power known?"

"What kind of ques-" Naruto was silenced by one of Kyuubi's tail wrapping around his head, effectively covering his mouth.

"You need to look deep within yourselves for the answer. Find the one thing that all of you have been missing but soon found in the end; the one thing that has brought you great joy and happiness. The group grew silent as they looked within themselves for the answer to the question. The Kyuubi removed his tail from Naruto's mouth as he too meditated over the answer. The cave was quiet for several minutes, with the only sound heard was their breathing and the cackling of the fox fire. Then Inari noticed one by one the members of the group smile as they opened their eyes, even the Kyuubi.

"So what is the strongest, purest power known?"

The group looked at each other and said at the same time…

Me: Any guesses?

Sasuke: fire

Sakura: medicine

Ino: the mind

Shikamaru: too troublesome

Chouji: Food

Neji: fate

Tenten: weapons

Lee: youth

Shino: …

Kiba: partnership

Sai: Penis

Everybody: …

Me: *face palm* should have seen that one coming (on with the chapter)

"Love" the group said in unison as they looked around. Li and Yokaze smiled as Inari looked at the Kyuubi.

"Kyuubi no Kitsune, could you please follow me" Inari turned and went into a hole in the wall, hidden by his body as a surprised and slightly whimpering Kyuubi quickly followed behind the white furred fox as Li and Yokaze step down from their places to go over to the group. Feeling the power radiating from the two foxes the group, too scared to move, watch as Yokaze hand Hinata a small box gift-wrapped using her tail.

"Thank you Yokaze-sama" Hinata stated as she sat the package down in her lap.

"It's not for you specifically…it's actually for the person you seek."

"Oh ok" and she put the present in her bag as Li handed Naruto a scroll, a puzzled look on his face.

"What is this for…Li-sama?" Naruto added as he felt that the Kyuubi would smack him again if he didn't when he got back.

"Inari will explain in a minute" Li said going back to his place as Inari and Kyuubi came back, the later wearing a strange look. Kyuubi sat back down to Naruto, not saying a word as Inari stepped in front of them.

"Gifts for all of you" Inari said as he hand the Sand siblings their gifts. "A new fan for Temari, a fox puppet scroll for Kankuro and a rare "ruby ball" cactus for Gaara" Inari said handing them all their gifts, as they responded with a thank you. Next up was Itachi who was handed a scroll and a ceramic raven with ruby eyes whereas Kurai was given a necklace with a black cat on its hind legs holding what seemed like the moon in its paws. "The scroll is a personal summoning animal I found a long time ago, it has been hurt and doesn't trust many people but I believe you can tame its wounded heart" Inari said as Itachi summoned a large black raven in front of him which then seemed to size him up as it stared into Itachi's onyx eyes. After about a minute, the raven flew up onto Itachi's shoulder and seem to rub its head against Itachi's face, seeming to like him. The bird disappeared as Inari turned his attention to the last two people in the group, not including Kyuubi. "Now for you two…" as Inari went over to Naruto and Hinata who gulped a little seeing as Kyuubi didn't so much as make a sound at having his deity so close to him. Inari stepped back a few feet and unraveled a large scroll held in between his 4th and 5th tail.

"Please step forward and sign the fox summoning contract. It's okay to sign more than one animal contract Naruto for it can help you in many situations."

Nodding Hinata and Naruto quickly "signed" the contract that then was rolled up, attached with a strap, and given to Hinata.

"You already hold the frog summoning contract so I decided to let Hinata hold this one as to not overburden you with scrolls. Now can I see both of your necklaces, please?"

Surprised, they quickly took off their necklaces and placed it in front of Inari-sama who began to glow a golden hue as the necklaces took on a similar feature. Before their very eyes, the one tailed red foxes grew eight more tails as their fur turned silver before Inari gave them back to the couple.

"I have fueled my chakra through the necklaces so you will have my protection and the backings of my silver foxes."

Turning to Kyuubi, he commented him on doing a good job fueling his chakra through the necklaces earning a slight blush on his face which was hidden due to his long hair. To everybody else, minus Kurai who he already fueled chakra before giving her the necklace, he handed out amulets with a silver fox on it. As they put them on, he told them that all the amulets was fueled by his power and were his blessing to them.

"Cherish them well" as he jumped up back onto his spot of the "pedestal. "Now, you may open the scroll" and Naruto did only to be blinded by a bright light as he felt something inside him seem to break free. Hearing gasping from all around, he assumed the others were feeling the same thing as the light faded and new sensations came over him.

"My chakra is now coursing through all of you, except Temari and Kankuro for I have something else planned later so please be patient. By accepting my chakra, your true animal nature is released and you have taken on some animal characteristics. Don't be alarmed, like Itachi has done, all you have to do is imagine it not showing and they will disappear. Although since he was fueled by Kurai's chakra his inner animal has taken on more of a feline appearance than the weasel he was supposed to be, pun intended."

The Sand siblings, surprised at what they heard, looked at Itachi and noticed his animal features in the form of ears and tail in the flickering light of the fire. Kankuro and Temari then watch as everybody, even Gaara, form animal traits from furry ears to a twitchy tail.

"Cool" Kurai stated as she viewed her long dark purple tail with matching ears and looked over, playing with Itachi's tail with her own. Hinata and Naruto looked at each and gasp at what they saw.

"You look even more beautiful/handsome" they said at the same time, making the room filled with laughter as they both blushed. Naruto had golden-orange fox ears poking out of his hair with a long golden orange tail, ending with a white tip fanned out behind him as he looked at Hinata's animal features.

"Hey, cool, you're inner animal is a fox too" Naruto stated as Hinata looked behind her and noticed the single lavender tail slightly curled as she felt equally matching ears on top of her head.

"**In more ways than one, Kit" **Kyuubi muttered earning more laughter as Hinata's face went redder when Naruto said he hope so.

"Hey what about Gaara, what is his animal?" Naruto stated as they all turned to the quiet shinobi who was wearing a surprised look on his face.

"Cute" Hinata and Kurai said as they stood and went over to the slightly blushing redhead who was trying to figure out what kind of animal he was.

"You're a tanuki, Gaara but don't worry" Inari said quickly noticing the look of horror on Gaara's face, "nothing is sealed inside you. You are in full control of your body."

Calming down, Gaara turned in time to see Hinata, Kurai, even Temari, playing with his ears and tails while Kankuro, with a frown on his face, watch as they went crazy over Gaara.

"Aw, jealous are we "Kanky"?" Kurai joked earning a glare from Kankuro who didn't respond as everybody went back to their seats.

"Now your animal abilities have been unlocked, so don't be surprised if you start acting differently" Inari said as he watched Kurai continue to play with Itachi's tail, who seemed to be enjoying the playful banter.

"Uh…exactly how will they change?" Kankuro asked not looking at Gaara who seemed to be deep in thought as Temari turned to look at Inari not able to meet her brothers.

"Not in the way you two are thinking…" Kankuro and Temari calmed down after hearing those words. "at least not yet" Inari started laughing as he saw Kankuro's face pale and Temari start coughing hiding the laugh while Gaara looked between the two. "You all will need to use your abilities to help you with the upcoming challenges headed your way."

The group nodded and thanked Inari, Li, and Yokaze for all they had done. At that moment, Naruto let out a huge yawn, almost popping the joints in his mouth as he scratched the back of his head lazily.

"Yes, it has grown quite late hasn't it? How about you sleep here for the night?" Inari stated as Li and Yohaze moved over to his side.

"We didn't bring our sleeping gear" Temari stated looking around as if some would magically appear like the pillows did.

"You eight can sleep on my tails for they are very soft and warm."

Before the Kyuubi could have time to protest, Li beat him to it by asking if that was a good idea.

"No need to get jealous Li, you will still be my right hand fox" Inari joked earning a mutter of curses as Kyuubi sighed and decided it was pointless to complain. "Come now" Inari said as he got comfortable on the floor with his nine tails acting like a large bed as the others took off their shoes and cautiously approached the white fox. Hinata and Naruto were the first ones on the tails as Kurai and Itachi followed by the Sand siblings and last Kyuubi, who tried to sleep on the ground next to the fox, but was picked up and placed on them by Li. Yawning again, the group quickly fell asleep as the warmth wrapped around them like a blanket as Li and Yokaze covered them in their tails and went to asleep as the fire died down to ashes balancing out the warmth of the tails with the coolness of cave.

_*the next morning*_

'_Wow, what a dream. I thought I dreamt Kyuubi was in human form and a fox named Inari turned everybody into animals and-_'

Naruto woke up feeling very warm and looked down to see a couple of fluffy things covered him. His brain catching up with the site that was in front of him, he realized that what he thought was a dream was in fact very real. Hearing a yawn beside him he watched Hinata stretch and snuggle up closer to him her lavender tail, slightly ruffled, twitching. Holding on to Hinata, Naruto looked around in the dim light coming from the cave entrance and noticed Kurai almost lying on top of Itachi, their tails intertwined. Kankuro and Temari were holding Gaara in a protective way two siblings would hold their younger brother as they were sleeping, Gaara looking peaceful. Smiling at the view, he turned to look at Kyuubi who also seemed to be sleeping soundly as he held a small smile on his face as if dreaming a good dream. Feeling movement, he watched as Hinata opened her eyes and look up at Naruto.

"Good morning, sexy Naruto-kun" Hinata said, not fully awake yet.

"Good morning to you too sexy Hinata-chan" as Naruto lean down and kiss Hinata quickly on the mouth. Wanting more, Hinata deepened the kiss as she moved her way into Naruto's lap. After a few minutes and the need to come up for air, they broke apart with Naruto face bright red from excitement. "Wow Hinata, what a kiss!" Naruto said breathlessly as Hinata fully came awake.

"I thought it was a dream" eyes wide, she blushed as she tried to get out of Naruto's lap but was stopped by a hand.

"It's okay besides that kiss was amazing, how long have you been having dreams about me?"

"Oh, almost every day" a voice beside them said as they looked up into Kurai's slit and glowing eyes, seeing the outline of a smirk as Itachi blinked trying to get the sleep out of his eyes.

"**Don't be embarrassed Hinata, Naruto been having similar dreams too" **Kyuubi said, laughing lightly as Naruto punched him saying to be quiet. The rest watched as the Sand Siblings woke up from their loud chattering early in the morning. They all stretched and got up from the warm bed that was Inari's tails to get ready to go back to Suna. As they went to grab their things and put away their gifts from Inari, they all heard yawning and movement behind them as the three foxes stretched, fluffing their tails as they looked at the group getting ready. **"Thank you, Inari-sama for everything. It's time for us to get back to Konoha and them to go back to Suna" **Kyuubi stated bowing a bit as they headed out the cave, into the blinding light of the sun.

"Whoa, I never saw the sun so bright before" Kurai said, shielding her eyes from the rising ball's evil rays.

"Sorry about that, I guess I should have warned you that your senses are stronger like sight, smell, touch, etc" Inari said handing the group shades to cover their eyes.

"Ah, that's better, thanks Inari-sama" Kurai said as she put the shades on.

"You're welcome, and please call me Inari…including you Kyuubi."

Kyuubi just nodded as they started heading in the direction of Suna. "Why, you eight don't have to walk back to Suna. Let us give you a ride on our backs" Yokaze said from her father's side as she and Li joined him outside.

"**But, I don't believe that's a good-" **Kyuubi started when he was interrupted by Li who added "we're not a bunch of pack mules, Inari." Eyes twinkling, he started glowing saying, "No, we're not…we're a pack of kitsune." Sighing in defeat, Li just shook his furry head but smiling all along at his leader/friend's playfulness.

"**It's okay, I will run behind you as I'm not worth riding on your backs-" **

Inari just gave Kyuubi a look.

"Nonsense" he said as three of his tails wrapped around Naruto, Hinata, and Kyuubi, who yelped in surprise, before placing them on his back. Li did the same with the Sand Siblings as Yokaze grabbed Kurai and Itachi. All eight riders could feel the power radiating off the foxes as they took off across the cool sand of the desert as the group held on, looking at blurs of rocks and cacti speed pass them_. _

'_Wow, we're really going fast'_ the groups think as they watch the sun that seemed to be stuck in place as they neared Suna. Noticing the gate and guards already out, Gaara was going to send them a message saying to let them pass but didn't get a chance too. The 8 members felt a sudden jerk as the three foxes leapt into the air and seem to run on the wind as they "flew" over Suna all the way to Gaara's office.

"Oh cool, you can fly too" Naruto said excitement heard in his voice as the foxes landed on the balcony of Gaara's office.

"An hour's walk there, a ten minute ride back" Kankuro said, looking as the sun finished rising over the horizon.

"We thought you would like to see the sun rise, so we slowed down a bit" Li laughed as he saw the looks of astonishment on the group's face as they learned they could go faster. As the foxes turned to go back home, they waved goodbye and said that they would visit again and bring more offerings for all they done. Nodding, the foxes vanished before their eyes, back to their home at the oasis. As the group entered the office, there was some knocking at the door before opening quickly to show Baki, out of breathe, followed by two ANBU.

"Kazekage are you in…here?"

"Is something wrong Baki?" Gaara asked as the group started heading for the door.

"Uh, you didn't come back last night so we were about to send a search team but saw-"

"Everything is alright I just received a ride back to Suna…from a friend near here."

Everybody laughed as they made their way out of the room and back to the gates with a confused Baki and ANBU guards behind them. At the gates, the group exchanged good byes as they left the sandy village.

"Until we meet again, hey don't forget to leave offerings for us" Naruto yelled as they waved to the Sand siblings. Hinata, Naruto, and Itachi then noticed the smirk on Kurai's face as she started to make hand seals. Smiling, the others quickly followed suit and said at the same time, "Kuchiyose no jutsu" and summoned four animals, two cats and two foxes. Hopping on the back of the summoning and ignoring the sounds of the guards as they noticed the number of tails on the animals, they saluted to the Sand Sibs before ushering their summoning to go ahead.

"Where are off to boss?" Naruto's two tailed fox said, as they started jogging across the desert.

"To Konoha" Naruto yelled as Kurai whooped and talked about "riding with the wind."

The fox nodded and emitting flames from their feet sprinted across the desert heading back to Konoha. "Hey, where's Kyuubi?" Kurai said, as she covered her mouth with her shirt as to not get sand in her mouth.

"**Back in your mind, Brat" **Kyuubi responded and then there was a moment of silence as if he was about to say something else. **"Thank you, Naruto." **Naruto knew something was up as the Kyuubi rarely called him by his name.

'_Why are you thanking me, Kyuubi?'_ Naruto asked, sensing that something was wrong with the Kyuubi_. 'You've been acting weird since Inari took you to the back of the cave.'_

"**Inari-sama just explained something to me and I realize how lucky I was to be sealed within you…thank you for all you done."**

'_Ok…you're welcome' _Naruto, who was confused at the sudden change in the Kyuubi's behavior shrugged it off and watch as the sand gave way to greener grass and trees of the fire nation's forest. However, the group didn't know what awaited them as they raced back home.

'_**Looks like I better start getting things prepared…because my time is running out.' **_

Elsewhere, a certain smug Hyuuga just showed her father the evidence she found as she mentally patted her-self on the back. And as for the cat, well he was too busy chasing another familiar gray cat talking about being left in the desert for far too damn long while said gray cat was laughing her head off at tricking her friend.


	9. Hi ho, hi ho, off to Iron country we go

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Chapter 7- "_Hi ho, hi ho, off to Iron country we go"_

Me: Yay 7 chapters and almost halfway through story. *Knock on door* Huh, who is it?

?: We have some complaints…

Me: Hey Sakura, Ino, Tenten…Ayame, Kurenai…Anko…uh oh

Kunoichi: WE WANT MORE FAN SERVICE!

Me: *blown back by uproar of pissed off kunoichi* Whoa. Okay, I'm sorry. I'll try I promise.

Kunoichi: (evil glares) you better (disappear)

Me: *whimpering in corner* save me… *silently crying as writing chapter 7*

"Wow, these creatures ARE really fast" Kurai said as she dismounted from the back of her bakeneko a little ways away from the gates of Konoha.

"Are you sure you don't want us to take you to the gates, Kurai-sama?" her summoning asked, looking up with yellow slit eyes.

"As much fun it is to ride there we're not ready to let others know that we can summon cat monsters and multi-tailed kitsune just yet. I promise you though, that I will be summoning all of you a lot more often."

Smiling and nodding to learn they would able to be summoned again the four mammals disappeared in poofs of smoke as the group walked the rest of the way to Konoha. As they neared the hidden leaf village, they noticed the gates were open and the damage in the roads was repaired from Tsunade's moment of rage. As they neared the gates, they were stopped by the guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, who recognized them instantly as they made their way towards them.

"Wow you guys made it back impossibly fast. I'm glad you four are all right though. Cool shades, by the way, I almost didn't recognize you. Hey, did you hear that you four were wanted for questioning of Hokage's sudden coma?"

The gang had just taken their shades off, but quickly looked up when the guards had said those words. Seeing the sour looks on their faces, Kotetsu quickly added, "but it's okay now because they cleared up the misunderstanding and you're not wanted anymore. Sighing in relief, Naruto held a guilty moment when he asked if the Tsunade clones prank was the cause of her sudden comatose.

"No, although many thought that but it turns out that the reason for it was chakra depletion from helping with the invasion of that "Pain" guy. It took some time before it finally caught up with her."

Feeling better, Naruto thanked them as they headed into the town where he was greeted by many people who saw him as a hero.

"I'm going to go turn in the report about our "mission" and I will meet you two at _Ichiraku Ramen_" Itachi said as he and Kurai suddenly disappeared to turn in their report. Holding hands along the way, Naruto and Hinata entered the fame ramen shop, Naruto in his usually loud voice ordering about 20 bowls of beef ramen. Hinata surprised everybody went she ordered 10 bowls of creamy chicken ramen and begin to eat at a fast pace saying she never been so hungry before.

"It must have something to do with your animalistic personality" Naruto joked as he started to devour his own ramen when Itachi and Kurai came in and joined them. Ordering 10 bowls of ramen each and 3 sets of onigirl the group begin to eat their lunch, since they skipped breakfast, as the rest of the Konoha 11, except Neji came in, surprised at how much they were eating.

"Wow Hinata, I never seen you eat so much food like that" Kiba said as he watched Hinata swiped Naruto's bowl of ramen, who laughed and ordered another one for himself.

"Well I skipped breakfast and I'm starving so I'm not surprised."

However the group was more surprised at how much Hinata had changed over the past few weeks.

"Did you hear that Danzo is to become the 6th Hokage?" Sakura asked right before a loud hissing noise was heard that made everybody look around. Sakura and the rest of the gang then looked at Itachi who was clearly eating an onigirl, a bored expression on his face, but Naruto, Hinata, and Kurai knew that the sound had come from him.

'_Guess he couldn't contain his dislike for Danzo, huh?'_ Kurai told Hinata as she gave a slight nod in agreement.

"You look familiar…and not in a good way" Sakura said as she started looking deep into Itachi's eyes, the rest of the group staring just as hard as they seem to inch closer to him.

"You almost hit me some time ago" Itachi said calmly as he continued eating his onigirl, not once looking away from Sakura's green eyes.

'_Kuso, if anybody can figure out who Yoru really is, it would be Sakura'_ Naruto thought mentally as he waited for the 'fist to hit the fan…literally.' Before Kurai could so much as hiss at Sakura for being in Itachi's space, he lazily closed his eyes…only to open them again and show that his eyes changed from black to a dark yellow-green with cat like slits that stared at the group in front of him.

"Eek what the fuck happened to your eyes?" Sakura screeched as she and the rest of the group took a couple of steps back while Kurai held back a snicker hearing Kiba whimper and Naruto and Hinata smiled softly, enjoying the scared look on Sakura's face.

"How troublesome" Shikamaru said as he tried to shake Ino off his arm where she had clung herself to when Sakura shrieked out.

"Wow, how are you able to change your eyes like that? Is it some kind of blood-line trait?" Tenten asked fascinated at how Itachi's eyes dilated when Sakura shrieked. Nodding his head, he said that he was one of the rare few in his family to be able to change their eyes.

"They help me spot things easier and are useful for night vision as somewhere deep in my family the blood of a cat runs deep within our veins and shows up only in a certain few. I happen to be one of the lucky few and those who don't, use cats as their animal partners to aid them in battles" Itachi lied smoothly as he finished off his onigirl and picked up another to eat. After Itachi finished explaining, two growling sounds came from Kiba and Akamaru as they looked at Itachi.

"Something doesn't smell right, you DO smell like a cat but you also smell like a fox, two creatures I dislike."

As Kurai was about to say something, no doubt it being very rude, Itachi took the onigirl he was chewing on and placed it into Kurai's mouth, who blinked, blushed, and bit off of it just as Itachi told Kiba,

"I don't care" and finished off the last onigirl. Sighing as they knew they would have to leave soon if thinks heated up, Hinata and Naruto paid for the food, just as Sakura put on her gloves.

"Who exactly are you? I haven't seen you around before."

That's when Kurai couldn't keep quiet anymore and angrily looked at the pink-haired kunoichi.

"I'm getting sick and tired of your 'I'm-the-boss-you-must-obey-me" tone "Pinky" you too "Mutt". First you growl at him just because he happens to smell like two animals you don't like. I don't like dogs but you don't see me hissing at you or any other dog that passes by. And don't forget, _Pinky_, you already tried and knock him out once, stupidly mistaking him for Naruto who wasn't even freaking around and now you're questioning him like you have the right. Bitch please."

The group suddenly grew scared as they saw chakra start to form around Kurai, giving her the look of a wild animal when a hand from Hinata stopped her from gathering her chakra further and attacking the poor kunoichi.

"Enough, Kurai you don't need to attack them."

Kiba and Sakura looked please for a second before they realized that Hinata was wearing a similar frown on her face.

"But she makes an excellent point, why should he tell you who he is besides his name?"

The group heard a growl come from Kiba who was about to say something when a voice stopped him.

"Tell ME who he is, Hinata-sama, please" Neji said as he walked into the ramen shop, an unpleased look on his face.

"At least you said please" Kurai muttered as she got up from her seat along with Naruto and Hinata.

"You are wanted at the Main House, Hinata-sama" Neji said eyeing Itachi who had started to walk away from the group.

"See you later, Yoru" Naruto said as he started following Hinata and Kurai to the Hyuuga Manor.

"Actually, he needs to come too… maybe he can clear some things up" Neji said as he started walking away, not saying another word.

"Why?" Hinata stated confusingly but not getting a response from the retreating back of Neji. Confused, the four members plus the rest of the Konoha 11 made their way to the front of the Manor. Ayame, Anko and Kurenai joined them at some point as they neared the Main House. As Hinata and the rest was about to go inside, a servant came out and whispered something in Neji's ear, who nodded and turned to the group.

"They're waiting in the dojo for you" and he made his way towards the dojo as the group followed since no one stopped them and they were curious as to what was about to happen. As they neared the dojo, the Konoha 11, except Naruto, Neji, and Hinata stopped just short as the group of five continued to the sliding doors. Kurai did a quick henge as she wasn't sure if the council knew the truth yet as Neji knocked softly on the dojo doors. After he finished knocking, they were given permission to enter and they did, noticing the face expressions of everybody in the room. The council in their usual spots all held scowls on their faces as Hiashi was frowning and seemed…scared in a way as he watch the group enter the dojo. However, the face expression that caught everybody's attention was Hanabi, who had a super-smug grin on her face, as if she knew something they didn't.

'_I thought she was up to something two days ago' _Kurai told Hinata telepathically as they sat down in front of Hiashi and Hanabi while Neji sat on the side of them. Hiashi turned his gaze to Itachi and his eyes narrowed as if not liking what he was seeing.

"Who are you and how do you know my daughter?" Hiashi asked, clearly in protective parent mode as he seemed to be sizing Itachi up, who wasn't intimidated in the least.

"My name is Yoru Karasu, I'm a friend of Naruto and I met Hinata-sama when I help moved Naruto's things from the apartment to the house with her team-mates."

Hiashi nodded in understanding as he continues to stare at Itachi.

"What kind of relation do you have with my daughter?" Naruto, Hinata, and Kurai each were getting bad feelings as the questions seemed to imply that something was going on between Itachi and Hinata. Without hesitating Itachi answered.

"I was their guide to and from Suna, other than that I have had no relation with your daughter. I was once Naruto-kun's neighbor until he moved out, but he is still my friend."

Hiashi didn't seem to like that answer as he asked if there was anything _else_ regarding his daughter. Itachi's eyes narrowed a little as he sensed that something wasn't right and that he didn't like where Hiashi was taking the conversation.

"What are you implying, Hyuuga-sama?" Itachi asked calmly, although there was a slight catch in his voice that everybody heard. Hiashi nodded as Itachi got straight to the point and said with all seriousness, "you sleeping in my daughter's house without my permission."

'_Let's see…white dye in her shampoo bottle…put itching powder in her clothes…poison her with Pinky's cooking…'_ was just some of the things going through Kurai's head as she tried and plan ways to get back at Hanabi because she knew that she was behind the reasoning of the summoning.

'_Not now Kurai…besides I want to help you with that list later'_ Hinata thought darkly as she noticed the smug look on Hanabi's face get bigger, if it was possible, as she waited to see what Itachi was going to say. Itachi didn't say anything as he gave the main house Hyuuga a look that basically said "Are you serious?" Frowning still, Hiashi informed the group that he was brought evidence of an older man living in the house; evidence that clearly didn't belong to Naruto.

'_Teleport her into the middle of the desert without food or water…'_ Kurai continued to think evil thoughts as she and the rest of the people in the dojo (and outside) waited for "Yoru" to respond to the question.

'_Kuso, how are we going to get out of this one?'_ Naruto thought as the Kyuubi was tempting him to go into one-tail mode and distract them long enough for Itachi to make an escape, but put the idea in the back of his mind when Itachi finally answered.

"I don't live in the house" was his quick and simple answer as he wore a bored expression on his face. The dojo was quiet as everybody seemed to have had to process the meaning behind that short little statement. Hinata tried hard not to laugh at Hanabi whose face took on a look of surprise then anger as she saw her plan wasn't going exactly right. Clearing his throat, Hiashi said, with a slight blush, "We found a pair of an older man's underwear in a drawer of one of the rooms. Are you saying that they're not yours?" Hiashi asked, something that sounded like hope heard in his voice as he looked at Itachi. Naruto watched Itachi out of the corner of his eye, though he saw something twitch just above somebody else's head but put it off as his imagination as he waited along with everybody else to see what Itachi was going to say.

'_Oh man, "fire cracker" is going to be in for a big surprise when she finds out the truth…'_ Hanabi's eyes narrowed as she noticed the smirk on Kurai's face and Hinata seeming to be chewing on the inside of her mouth. Hinata's eyes grew wide at what Kurai had told her what she heard a certain kunoichi outside say and she literally had to bite her cheek from almost bursting into giggles. Naruto, noticing Hanabi's face expression and line of sight, was about to ask what they knew when Itachi said something that seem to change the atmosphere in the dojo. Outside the dojo, all the kunoichi, including Sakura, Ino, Tenten, Ayame (from the ramen shop), Anko (who saw the group), and Kurenai (who was concerned for Hinata) were standing, listening in on the meeting as Kurai accidently (or purposely) forgot to close the door all the way so that the kunoichi outside where able to hear everything that was happening inside the dojo. When Hiashi had explained the "evidence" that was found, Anko chuckled and said lowly that a man that fine shouldn't be wearing clothes at all, earning a blush from the rest of the girls and Kurenai who told her to stop. The tension outside from the curious (or nosy) kunoichi was just as thick inside as they waited for "Yoru" to answer the question. The boys more or less left after they knew the girls would talk their ears off at their latest gossip. What they heard next made the three young kunoichi gasp as Kurenai and Ayame blush while Anko was grinning saying that Kurai was one lucky girl after all.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. They're not mine because…I don't wear underwear."

There was intake of breathe, from where, no one knew followed by a long period of silence. The council members, Hiashi, and Neji seem to fidget as they felt the change in the air from seriousness to a feeling of awkwardness after Itachi's statement. Kurai's invisible cat ear twitched as she caught more of the conversation outside as they talked about Itachi going "commando." Hanabi, the first to snap out of her daze, jumped up with anger in her voice.

"How do we know he's not lying" she yelled, earning a gasp from the council and putting Hiashi in a very uncomfortable situation that was made worse by Kurai who said, "I can vouch for him if you want" loud enough for everybody to hear. Neji was secretly laughing at the situation as he waited for somebody to do something for, as funny as it was, very uncomfortable to talk about. Itachi, however, cleared all that up with his next statement. Standing up, he said, with a slight grin on his face, "I can prove it if you want" and put his hands on his pants as if to pull them down.

"No" Hiashi and Neji cried out but were drowned out by voices inside the dojo from Hanabi and Kurai who said "sure" and from outside the door where all the girls were screaming their opinions.

"Oh my" was muttered softly by Ayame and Kurenai.

"YES!" was squealed by Sakura and Ino.

Tenten screeched with "TAKE IT OFF".

"STRIP BABY STRIP" was yelled the loudest by Anko, which made everybody inside and outside the dojo go quiet.

The sound was finally broken by Kurai, who was laughing and shaking her head at the eager kunoichi outside.

"I'll be back" Kurai said not sure if she could hold the henge much longer as she disappeared outside and closed the dojo door. Hiashi looked at Hanabi with a frown on his face as she, embarrassed, looked down unable to look any of them in the eye as Itachi sat back down next to a slightly embarrassed Naruto, a howling Kyuubi who was holding his sides in laughter, and Hinata who was hanging her head as to not be seen laughing at her sister's outcry. 15 minutes later, Kurai returned with her usual smirk and a hand full of cash as she sat back down in her spot saying she got everything under control all the while counting the money in her hands. Looking at Kurai counting her money and sighing, Hiashi told Itachi he would take his word for it as they got back to business.

"So, if they're not yours, then whose are they Hinata?" Hiashi said, looking at his daughter for an answer just as Kurai spoke up, after she had pocketed the money and once again surprised everybody in the room.

"They're mine…is that a crime?" she asked and chuckled when she noticed everybody started fidgeting again as the trio looked at her, an eyebrow raised on how she was going to get out of this one. "Since I see you're afraid to ask how they're mine, I'll answer the question. I wear them at night because they're really comfy and breathable. You guys are so lucky."

Every male in the room, besides Itachi and Naruto who were now somehow used to Kurai's answers for everything, by now were blushing and sighing in defeat as they were scared to press on in case of more awkward answers. Hanabi, who wasn't done yet, used her last resort that she knew the group couldn't talk their way out of.

"There were signs of a fourth person living in that house. Since they just got back, they couldn't have had time to fix things. Let's go" Hanabi said angrily as she stormed out of the dojo with Hiashi, Neji, Hinata, Kurai, Naruto, and Itachi right on her heels.

'_Anybody got a plan on how to get out of this one?' _Just then Kyuubi spoke up in Naruto's mind saying that they didn't have to worry about anything.

"**Heh, with the way you four luck's been going, I wouldn't be surprised if Inari-sama or his "friend" already figured this was going to happen and taken precautions."**

And the Kyuubi was right. As soon as the group entered the house, Hanabi started looking for anything that would have proved that a fourth person lived there but couldn't find anything. Hiashi, seeing that there was no clear evidence, apologized to Itachi which infuriated Hanabi accusing Kurai of cleaning up when she left.

"Trust me, _fire cracker_, I didn't have time to clean up…I was too busy conducting business" she said smugly as she patted the pocket with her money in it. Not wanting to know, Hiashi told Hanabi to head back to the main house but she still wasn't giving up.

"Maybe the other kunoichi stole it."

No sooner had those words left her mouth that Sakura, Ino, and Tenten came into view, breathing hard, saying they got their list.

"Thank you, also can you inform 'fire cracker' that you didn't go near this house at all this past week, especially today."

The kunoichi argued their point as Kurai checked the scrolls they handed her. Accepting that they were telling the truth, Hiashi dismissed them as he headed back to the main house.

"I want to challenge the real Hinata to the right as heir in a match to the finish" Hanabi called out, anger clearly heard in her voice as her plan failed miserably.

'_Take the challenge and show her what you're made of'_the voice from before urged Hinata as she saw Hiashi about to refuse.

"I accept your challenge" Hinata said full of confidence that surprised everybody as they made their way back to the dojo where the council still sat. Neji started the match by explaining the rules and the stakes to the people in the dojo as everybody sat down to watch.

'_This battle will be over quickly'_ Itachi thought as he noticed that Hanabi was angry and seriously underestimating Hinata's power. Neji started the battle…and after 5 minutes, the battle ended. Due to her anger, Hinata's training, and secretly her kitsune ability she was able to cleanly knock out Hanabi before she could even get a hit in. The council, clearly impressed at Hinata's progress, approved the match and Hinata's position as heir, and once again apologized to Itachi for accusing him. As the group headed for the house in the forest, Itachi made his way off the Hyuuga property, in case he was being followed which gave Hinata time to congratulate Kurai on the story she came up with.

"I can't believe you came up with the story of wearing men's underwear at night to hide the fact Itachi lived in the house."

Kurai stopped suddenly and looked at Hinata and Naruto, a soft smile on her face as she told them, "I wasn't lying. Those really ARE my underwear because I bought them at the store when we bought Itachi-kun his clothes. By the way, Itachi-kun DOESN'T wear underwear."

Kurai laughed as she noticed how Hinata blushed and continued walking to the house while she pulled out some scrolls and place it with the pocket with the scrolls the other kunoichi gave her.

"I'm almost afraid to ask but exactly what did you do after you left?" Naruto said looking at Kurai who had placed the money and scrolls back in her backpack.

"Oh yea, I didn't tell you. Well…" and Kurai began to explain to Naruto and Hinata what had went down after the kunoichi's rejoice at Itachi wanting to take his pants off.

_*flashback*_

"_You think they heard us" Ino whispered as they noticed nobody made a sound after their loud outburst about Itachi going "commando". _

"_Oh yea, they heard you" Kurai stated from behind the girls, making them jump slightly as they all blushed about being caught (except Anko who grinned even more). Going to the dojo door, she firmly closed it with a loud "snap" and turned to look at the guilty kunoichi. "Now I know you all are curious about what he is hiding…except maybe Kurenai and Anko who can probably guess after our last conversation" but he's taken and I won't allow it." _

_All the kunoichi suddenly looked down in disappointment as they realized that Kurai had already claimed the new guy. However, what they missed was the cat-like glow of Kurai's eyes as she said lowly, "but I can get you secret posters of your favorite shinobi in all their sexiness for 500 yen a piece." The kunoichi just looked up at Kurai, curiosity filled in their eyes as Kurai continued. _

"_How would you like a picture of Sasuke all wet and looking hot under a waterfall with his sharingan activated?" she taunted Sakura and Ino who eyes went wide at the thought of the poster hanging up in their room. "Are maybe Neji and the awesome six-pack he hides underneath the Hyuuga robes…along with something else" Tenten almost started drooling at the site in her mind as she started searching her pockets for money. Turning to Kurenai, Anko, and Ayame, she started talking about a trio poster consisted of Asuma, Iruka, and Kakashi which got two of the kunoichi blushing as bad as Hinata and Anko making an order for three of Iruka. _

"_I can also make custom-made posters with whatever design and character you choose, in color, for let's say…1000 yen a piece. Kurai noticed the kunoichi were thinking long and hard about it when she decided to seal the deal with her next few words. "Well when you decide what you want I take cash up front and you can give me the list later" Kurai pretended to go the dojo door. "Oh and thanks to the byakugan I can draw them real ACCURATE since it can see more than just the chakra points…plus thanks to Hinata's memories I can even draw people not around…naked." _

_That was the icing on the cake, as 6 pair of hands suddenly dragged her back from the door giving her orders of how many posters they wanted and of what shinobi boy or man. _

"_Our money is at home" they whined as Kurenai and Anko disappeared in a puff of smoke as they went home to get their money…and list…to place their orders. _

"_No problem, I can teleport all of you back home real quick" and with those words, Kurai took the three kunoichi and Ayame home where they all ordered their posters, handed Kurai the money, and said they would give her the list later. Ayame, who secretly already had a list, gave it to Kurai as Kurenai and Anko reappeared at the Hyuuga Manor the same time Kurai did to place their orders. _

"_Thank you, I should have all the posters done by the end of the week. Glad doing business with you" As the two older women left, Kurai placed the list in her pocket and begin to count her money as she redid her henge and teleport back into the dojo._

_*end of flashback*_

Naruto and Hinata stood in shock as Kurai told them how she got rid of the kunoichi and made a hefty profit at the same time.

"I didn't know you could draw" is all that comes to Hinata's mind after hearing Kurai's story…well not all_. _

'_I'll make you a couple, free of charge of course'_

Out-loud, Kurai said that she didn't but she learned a new jutsu, thanks to Inari, on how to possess people.

"I was either going to possess Sai long enough to make their paintings before the end of the week or ask him to draw them for me for some of the profits. I don't think he will mind."

Naruto and Kyuubi were secretly laughing at how Kurai was not only pulling pranks, but making money off of them too. As they made it to the house, Itachi suddenly appeared next to them as they were about to open the door.

"Do you think I should have done that a little differently?"

"NO" the group responded laughing as they entered the house and instantly felt that something wasn't right. Looking around, Hinata noticed a fuda placed above the door that seemed to glow with power.

"I guess that what cast the illusion" Naruto stated simply as Itachi took the fuda down and placed it in his bag. As soon as the fuda was put away, the illusion in the house wore off, putting everything back to normal…although something was still off.

"Eh, hey Hinata-chan, how did your backpack get on the table because I thought you put it in your room when you first came in?"

Agreeing, the group went over to the bag, opened it up, and noticed a scroll placed neatly on top for all to see.

"That scroll wasn't there before…" Kurai said, curious as to who left it while Hinata unraveled it and fueled chakra through it to have word appear on it.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME ANOTHER RIDDLE?" Naruto screamed as he noticed the crisp lines on the scroll take the form of the riddle, this time longer than the other two.

"Go ahead and read it Hinata-chan" Itachi urged as the group ignored Naruto's outburst as she read:

_The powers within you, have now been unlocked,_

_Now the real challenge begins, as you race against the clock._

_You must accept the starball, the soul of your kind,_

_You must hurry, for you're running out of time._

_To find the starball, you must face the sun,_

_And prove to them, the battle you won._

_Bring back the body of a black fox, and he will see,_

_You are ready for the secret hidden in the tree._

_The fox whose fur is as black as the night,_

_With bright pale eyes that seek the light._

_The black and white fox, looking for their mate,_

_Will soon join together as seen as their fate._

_This is the final riddle, time for me to go,_

_Take care of each other, Hinata and Naruto._

Naruto: Why do you keep giving us riddles? This one looks even harder and more complex than the last two.

Me: I don't know. Maybe I like torturing you with riddles. Maybe I want you to actually try and use your brain to figure them out.

Kyuubi: What brain?

Me: *laughing*

Naruto: Shut up you stupid fox and help me figure out this dumb riddle

Me: It's okay, Naruto. I promise this is the last riddle.

Naruto: It better. (Goes off grumbling about stupid riddles)

"Ugh, why is it that every time we get a scroll there is a riddle in it?"

The group suddenly frowned as they remembered something that happened yesterday.

"Hey, Naruto-kun do you still have the scroll Inari-sama gave you?" Hinata asked as if on to something.

"Huh, yea, it's in my bag…oh no. You know what Itachi I'm going to let you get it because I can't take any more riddles."

Handing him the backpack, he left for his room to take a shower as Itachi fished out the scroll and begin to fuel it with chakra.

"Somebody must really like riddles" Itachi said softly as he read what the paper had to say to Hinata and Kurai.

_To find the person you seek,_

_You need to go back about a week._

_That night that you all remember well,_

_Something was different, that you can tell._

_Find what was different about that day,_

_And you will soon know the way._

_To find the truth of what took place,_

_And help find the soul you need to replace._

"Well at least it's not as bad as that one."

The group began to work on the scroll Inari gave them before trying to figure out what the scroll in the backpack meant.

"Ok what was different about that day?" Kurai muttered as they kept their attention on that one line. After several minutes, they heard the sound of running water coming from upstairs that seemed to jump start their brains.

"The rain…it never rains like that in Konoha, especially during this time of year" Hinata said proudly as she figured out what the riddle meant.

"So our next destination has to be the rain village" Itachi said as he rolled up the scroll and placed it back in Naruto's backpack.

"What about the rain village now?" Naruto asked, hair dripping, as he came downstairs with nothing but a pair of pants on and a towel around his neck.

"We believe our next destination is the rain village, Naruto-kun" Itachi answered as he noticed a certain kunoichi was a little tongue-tied at seeing Naruto.

"I think I know what to draw for you" Kurai muttered as Hinata blushed at looked away from Naruto as he put on a shirt. Oblivious to what Kurai had said, he asked how they were going to get a mission to the rain village, unless he could get a message out to Konan and see if she can help them. Before the group could dwell more on that or look at the third scroll there was a sharp knock on the door. Itachi and Kurai disappeared as Hinata and Naruto opened the door to show Kakashi and Yamato with grim looks on their faces. Sensing something bad was about their visit, Naruto left with his two sensei as Itachi and Kurai came down from upstairs.

'_Something isn't right'_ Hinata thought but she wasn't just talking about the situation with Naruto. Hinata started noticing that Kurai was acting funny and becoming more distant from them in the way she walked farther from them and other minor things. Telling herself she would ask her later, Hinata left and met with her team and their discussion about what they overheard.

"I hear they are to have a meeting and figure out what to do about Sasuke-kun. I believe…I believe that we should kill him. It's the only way that Naruto will stop chasing after him and fulfilling that promise to bring him back" Sakura said, her voice shaking a bit as she looked at the group.

That's when everybody noticed Hinata, who quickly ran off, unable to bear the news she just heard. Hearing the group call her name, she quickly imagined where Naruto was and teleported close by in a tree as she spotted him talking with Kakashi and Konohamaru, obviously planning something by the large grins on their faces. Mind-linking with him, she heard his plan about how to deal with the ANBU following him and decided to help in her own secret way. Hinata suddenly ran up to Naruto as she told him the plan about what they should do. Naruto, Konohamaru, and Hinata all did sexy no jutsu and transformed into sexy females. The only difference was Konohamaru was a normal female while Naruto and Hinata had changed into their hanyo forms right before using sexy no jutsu which just added a tail and ears to the females. After the ANBU, thanks to Kakashi were knocked out Naruto explained to Hinata that he was going to talk to the Raikage about sparing Sasuke's life. Realizing that it was something he needed to do, she gave him a sad smile and quickly gave him a kiss, all the while telling him about the other's plans for Sasuke that the other teams he would deal with them later he quickly and quietly left for the land of Iron, not before getting another goodbye kiss, as Hinata headed for home where Itachi was in town shopping while Kurai was waiting for her. As they sat outside, each brunette in their own little world, Neji and Hiashi came to visit them after checking on Hanabi and seeing if everything was okay with Hinata. As they approached, Hiashi noticed the necklace in Hinata's hand as she kept twirling it between her fingers like a nervous habit. Hearing her sigh, Neji and Hiashi looked at each other before talking to Hinata.

"You want to go with him, don't you?" Hiashi asked calmly as Hinata nodded absent-mindly surprising Neji who still wasn't use to the new, more confident Hinata. Neji then glanced at Kurai, who was also equally deep in thought, about what, no one but Kurai knew. However, Hiashi's next words drew everybody's attention from whatever they were thinking about.

"You have my permission to go with him."

Neji, Hinata, and Kurai suddenly looked up at Hiashi who nodded and continued with, "Wherever your adventure takes you, you're allowed to go."

Hinata eyes got big as she smiled greatly, something she felt she haven't done in far too long for her father. "Just be safe" was his only rule as he saw tears fall down Hinata's face as she went over to hug her father.

"Come on Kurai, we have to hurry and catch up with Naruto-kun" she stated as she quickly pack her bag with some clothes, grabbed Kurai's hand, and disappeared to find Itachi and get him to join them on their quest to save Sasuke. Back to Neji and Hiashi, Neji was looking at his uncle as he stared at the house, a distant look in his eyes and a smile tugging at his lips.

"Are you sure that was a wise choice? I mean you she is living with a complete stranger who nobody knows anything about and most likely will leave with him to go catch up with Naruto."

Hiashi just looked at Neji and smiled.

"I know all about the stranger who is living with my daughter and I know he will protect her like he would protect Sasuke and Naruto."

Confused about his uncle actions and words, Neji just sighed and looked down only to gasp which made Hiashi look down and see what surprised Neji. On the ground around their feet were pale blue flowers blooming and growing right before their eyes.

"Wha-how?"

Both Hyuuga suddenly heard rustling and looked off into the forest to see a small one-tailed silver fox run swiftly from the underbrush to a nearby den as Hiashi nodded and headed towards the Manor.

"Neji, there is something I must show you" is all he said as both Hyuuga males made their way back to the main house and a secret that will blow the mind of one unexpected Neji.

_*time skip*_

Itachi, Hinata, and Kurai had finally made it to the land of Iron where Naruto had already talked to the Raikage…who wasn't going to change his mind. Wanting to talk to Naruto, the group stayed hidden as they noticed Sakura and Sai talking to him, which Hinata sensed was not something good. Dropping the henge, she reverted to her hanyo form where, with her heightened sense of hearing, she heard the last words she wanted Sakura to ever say to Naruto.

"…can you repeat that, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked cleaning out his ears as he looked at the pink haired kunoichi who just smiled at him and repeated herself.

"I said…I love you, Naruto" Naruto suddenly felt a burning sensation around his chest as the necklace seemed to be radiating heat.

'_What the hell…is Hinata in trouble?'_ Naruto asked the Kyuubi who silently chucked as the heated necklace began to burn Naruto's skin**. **

"**No but Sakura will be in a minute. The reason the necklace's burning is because Hinata is mad; the hotter it burns the angrier she is. And by how hot that sucker is burning I'd say she just heard Sakura's little confession and** **is pissed to the max." **

Naruto, rubbing his chest where the necklace was burning his skin, used his heightened senses to pinpoint Hinata's location. Naruto almost laughed out loud as he sensed Itachi's and Kurai's desperate-ness mingling with Hinata's anger and guessed that they were trying to hold her back or something. Over to where Hinata, Itachi, and Kurai were hidden…that was exactly what they were doing.

"Come on, all I want to do is "talk" to her" Hinata said as she struggled against Itachi and Kurai who were holding her back with all their strength yet smiling at how protective she was.

"Hinata, remember I can read your mind and the only "talking" you're thinking of has to do with your gentle fist technique."

Naruto grew scared as he felt the killing intent radiated and pointed at Sakura all the way from where Hinata and the others were hiding.

"**Kit, fox illusion, did you forget?" **

'_Oh yea, but don't I have to make the hand seals-' _

"**I'll do it for you this time." **

Thanking the fox and feeling the illusion take place, he looked back up at Sakura who wore a confused look on her face as she looked around and then back at him. Naruto looked deep in her eyes and asked her when she realized her feeling for him. Sakura then told him about not loving Sasuke anymore and saying that he could stop chasing him. Mentally, Naruto was trying to calm down a pissed off Hyuuga who he finally managed to convince not to kill Sakura. Tuning back in to Sakura's answer, he almost laughed at the irony of it all as he remembered asking her out multiple times and being shot down…well "punched" down each and every time.

"Hinata, please calm down before you give our location away?" Kurai said as she knew the others could feel the killing intent coming at them from their direction. Naruto then informed them about the illusion with Kurai, who sighed in relief.

'_Hinata-chan at least calm down enough to listen to what I have to say to her confession, okay?'_

That seemed to do the trick as Hinata calmed down and listened closely as she waited for Naruto's answer.

"You can stop lying to yourself Sakura. I know that you don't really love me and that you are still deeply in love with Sasuke but I made a promise, not only to you but to a lot of people, that I would bring Sasuke-teme back and that's what I plan on doing."

The group was surprised at Naruto's answer as Hinata was secretly cheering with Itachi and Kurai smirking at how Naruto put Sakura in her place. Shocked, Sakura and Sai both left seeing that Naruto wasn't going to change his mind about chasing Sasuke. As Hinata, Kurai, and Itachi were about to turn invisible and go see Naruto, avoiding Kakashi of course, they stopped when they noticed Sai make an ink clone and waited to see what he had to say.

"Since Naruto-kun is still talking how about we go tail Sakura and Sai and see if we can stop them from doing something stupid, I mean wrong" Hinata whispered as they turned invisible and followed the two team-mates to an opening where things were about to heat up.

'_Oh my, this doesn't look good'_ Hinata thought as she noticed a shinobi who looked similar to Itachi appear with a redhead who was wearing thick glasses on as she mentally told Naruto what was going on. The trio watched silently as the events unfolded around them as Naruto, Yamato, and Kakashi made their way to the area where Sasuke was waiting. As the group watched, Itachi remained quiet and motionless except for the occasional sigh and his usual trademark of calling his brother "foolish". Watching as Sasuke attacked his former team and use Karin as a shield, both kunoichi wondered how Itachi and Sasuke were even related since they acted so differently.

"He will go blind soon if he keeps up using his sharingan" Itachi stated after a while surprising both girls as they watch Sasuke use his ultimate attack against Kakashi and Naruto.

"Let's go get him now and beat some freaking sense into him then" Kurai tempted, getting the urge to go do just that until Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder saying it would be pointless. As soon as he said that, Sasuke went blind and Madara came to take him away.

'_I'm…sorry…everybody'_ Naruto thought mentally before he passed out due to the poison kunai Sakura had accidently slashed him with.

"Oh Naruto-kun" Hinata said sadly as she watched Kakashi pick up his pupil and make their way back to Konoha with the group following silently. As Yamato's team plus a few hidden extra people made it back to Konoha, they were rejoiced to hear about Tsunade's recovery as Kakashi was about to be elected as the 6th Hokage. After Naruto's recovery, he had a hard time looking at Itachi as he felt he betrayed him by not bringing back Sasuke.

"It's okay Naruto-kun besides I have a feeling that we will be seeing him again sooner than we think. Call it instinct but I think I will need everybody's help in talking to Sasuke later."

Agreeing, Naruto decided to have a bowl of ramen as Itachi and Kurai left for home while Hinata disappeared talking about needing to do something important. Itachi, Kurai, and Hinata, after Kurai called out to her and she returned with a little-too-big smile on her face, quickly made their way over to where Naruto was re-summoned just minutes before.

"Hey everybody what-"

"It's time" Itachi calmly interrupted him with all seriousness heard in his voice. Nodding the four member's teleported to Hinata's house where Naruto switched to sage mode then he grabbed Sasuke's forehead protector and began to concentrate. Itachi then begin to fuel chakra to Naruto as Hinata and Kurai did the same which led to a weird reaction between the four. Gasping, Naruto clearly saw Sasuke in a dark room, underground he thought as he smelled the dampness of the walls and lack of sunlight, with Zetsu who told him the operation was a success.

'_Sasuke'_ Naruto thought before he felt a strange lightness in his body as if his whole body was thinning, along with Hinata, Kurai and Itachi as they disappeared in a flash of light.

_*still in Hinata's house*_

"Their powers are getting stronger, especially Hinata" a male voice said, coming out of the shadows of one of the rooms as he was joined by a small group of people.

"Well she did take after _her_ you know…at least that's what I heard" a familiar voice in the form of JT said as she gathered her group from their hiding place and move to the center of the room. "Man, that took a lot of chakra…at least Naruto was in sage mode when he was looking for Sasuke and made it easier."

Agreeing, Maru joined up with JT as he looked at the group.

"So are we heading back now?" a tall handsome man said as his hand went to his pocket to pull out a box of pocky and place one in his mouth where he started sucking on the chocolate coating. Nodding, Maru asked if everybody was ready as they were soft cries of 'yes' from the group.

"Will we be visiting Suna soon?" a soft voice said as an elderly woman looked up at Maru and JT.

"Soon baa-sama, we will visit soon" an elderly man said, going over to the man with the pocky and placing his hand on his shoulder. The group then started fueling chakra to Maru and JT who changed forms and said, "_Demon Style: Pack Teleportation_" right before they too disappeared.

_*at the Hyuuga Manor*_

"And that's the truth Neji. That is why I've been taken the events of the last two weeks extremely well. Now this is between you and me and no one else except a select few need to know about this" Hiashi said as he had finished telling Neji a story that more or less made him shocked and stunned to the point of being speechless. Leaving his office, Hiashi walked down the halls of the main house with Neji, who finally found his voice again, in tow.

"Does Hanabi-sama know?" Neji asked as he knew that Hanabi would not accept what he learned without a fight. Hiashi's face turned sad as he nodded and said he told her after the first match for heiress.

"She didn't take it well and after the second match…she went and told the council about Kurai, which in the end sealed her fate as they realized that since both Hinata and Kurai was able to defeat and had the most change that either one would be selected as heiress and then she-"

Hiashi stopped suddenly, which made Neji check his surroundings and notice that they were in front of Hiashi's door. Hiashi opened the door, beckoning Neji in as he closed and placed a seal on the door as to stop people from unexpectedly coming in. Going to the back of his room, he fueled chakra to his right hand and waved it against the back of the wall to reveal a hidden panel. Taking the panel off, he reached inside the hidden storage and pulled something out that he handed to Neji before replacing the wall.

"Wait oji-san isn't this…"

_*elsewhere*_

"When can I take my bandages off?" an impatient Sasuke asked for the 3rd time within the past 3 days as he felt that something wasn't right with his eyes. Zetsu gave him the same response that he answered with the last 2 times Sasuke asked.

"Not yet" the white half of Zetsu said as the black half of him began to talk about eating him to stop him from asking again. As the two sides of Zetsu argued, the clearly irritated and impatient Uchiha was about to say something else when he felt a weird sensation in the air that Zetsu didn't seem to feel.

'_Sasuke' _he thought he heard a voice whisper his name lightly in his head as the air around him seemed to thicken. Looking at the frowning plant man, he narrowed his eyes and asked Zetsu to leave which his white said to yell if he needed anything while his black side said he would happily do without a demanding Uchiha. As Zetsu continued to argue with himself and left through the floor, Sasuke waited till he was sure he was completely gone before calling out.

"Show yourself" he said in a somewhat commanding voice and the air in front of the bed seemed to crackle with energy before returning to normal as he sensed four new chakra signatures. All four signatures felt familiar, similar even, but different and Sasuke just couldn't pinpoint who was there in front of him.

"…Naruto, is that you?" Sasuke said, malice in his voice, as he turned his bandaged eyes to the signature that he knew so well but was a lot different from the blonde he knew.

'_Did he become even stronger since we last met and if so how? Also what is with the strange chakra and the other three people he is with?' _is what was going through Sasuke's mind until he heared a voice starting a jutsu_. _

"Demon style: Blood Clone no Jutsu" as he felt chakra emit from somebody beside Naruto that makes Sasuke's blood run cold at the voice.

'_That…sounded like…impossible, it can't be him. Naruto must be using some kind of jutsu to sound like him.'_ Sasuke thought as he was about to do his own jutsu when he felt the air beside him thicken and before he could so much as curse he felt a quick slice in his arm as someone cut him with a kunai. The person was joined by the one doing the jutsu as the speaker swiped their hand over the cut, making hand seals, which was followed by a thump as the speaker slammed their hand on the bed. Feeling the bed shift as someone else joined, Sasuke was about to call out to Zetsu, while mentally cursing himself, when he was suddenly grabbed by something soft, warm, and fluffy. The fluffy thing wrapped itself around Sasuke's mouth, effectively stopping him from calling out as 6 other fluffy things wrapped around the rest of his body; 2 around his arms to prevent him from doing jutsus, 2 around his legs to prevent him from fleeing and 2 around his torso that lifted him in the air as he heard more shifting from the bed. Before Sasuke could have time to figure out what was happening, a female voice said, "Let's get out of here before plant man comes back." He felt his body go light as the group that captured him teleported to a well hidden cave near the training grounds of Konoha where Naruto, Hinata, and Kurai first met Itachi after his resurrection. As Sasuke felt his body become heavy again and noticed the changes in environment he figured they made it to their destination. Smelling the dampness in the air, the fluffy "ropes" holding Sasuke gently placed him on a rock which confirmed Sasuke's suspicion that he was in a cave.

"Nice use with the henge. So Kyu showed you how to grab with those…cool. Now that we got 'Bird Ass', what are we going to do with him?"

The cave went quiet after that statement as Naruto was trying hard not to laugh at Kurai's nickname for Sasuke. Not going without a fight, Sasuke started to struggle greatly, trying to get his hands free to try attack whoever kidnapped him when he heard a sigh, talking, movement, and a jutsu being used that made him stop his struggles.

"Choose another nickname for him, please?" Hearing footsteps start and stop and then the same male voice from earlier say "_Fire style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu_" and Sasuke could fell the chill of the cave leave as someone started several fires on spread out piles of wood that lit the whole area.

'_There are only two people besides myself I know who can use that jutsu…' _

"Kakashi?" tried to call out but his mouth was still covered so it came out muffled.

"You can remove the tail from his mouth now."

'_Tail?'_ Sasuke thought as he felt the tail leave his face right before he screamed at the top of his lungs,

"Let go of me so I can kill all of you, you-" before Sasuke could finish that sentence his mouth was once again covered over by the tail as the same female voice that gave him the horrible nickname said,

"Damn, he's loud. I never thought he could yell like that, especially to who he is related too."

Naruto, Itachi, and Hinata agreed with Kurai as they looked at the usually cool and calmed Uchiha tied up with Naruto's 6 tailed form henge, extremely angry as Itachi left to place silence tag barriers all over the cave.

"Everything's set" Itachi said coming back to the group where Sasuke was still struggling against his binds.

"Are you sure about this? He seems very angry and might do something drastic" Hinata asked just as Sasuke loosen the tail around his face just enough to open his mouth and bite down hard on it. Hearing a poof, he knew that that henge was over and was about to start yelling again when an angry voice he knew so well talked to him.

"Ouch teme that hurt, I can't believe you bit me" Naruto said rubbing his poor tail where there were faint bite marks thanks to the pissed off Uchiha. Sasuke turned in the direction of the voice for there was only one person who was bold enough, or in his mind stupid enough, to call him Sasuke-teme.

"Naruto?" he called out trying to get a better sense of his surroundings.

"Yea it's me Sasuke-teme…and I brought along with me a few friends."

Naruto restarted his henge to cover the ears and tail as Kurai went over to Sasuke and begin to fuel chakra to him.

'_Who is touching me? It can't be Naruto because the touch is too gentle.'_

Feeling chakra rush through him in return his being absorbed he gasped as his vision seemed to return as he could clearly see the details of the cave he was in.

'_But why does it feel like I'm not the one who is looking around?'_

Maybe because he wasn't as he soon realized. Kurai, who was letting Sasuke see through her eyes, began to take in the surroundings around them as Itachi quickly hid in the shadows for he wasn't sure how Sasuke would react to seeing again yet.

"You can use a shadow clone to fuel the chakra so you can come over here too" Naruto said as Kurai agreed and did just that. As soon as Kurai stopped fueling Sasuke her chakra, his eyesight was lost once again and he found it funny at how people took for granted their senses like sight. Hearing movement and the same gentle touch, his sight was once again restored as he instantly looked at Naruto who held his usual goofy grin on his face.

'_Same old Naruto'_ an old part of himself spoke up before Sasuke shook his head, getting rid of the little voice in his head. Looking beside him, he took in the ink blue hair of Hinata who had a worried look on her face.

'_Who is she again? If I remember correctly that's girl is Neji's cousin…I believe her name is Hyuuga Hinata. Oh right, the only girl who didn't seemed to chase me around like a lovesick puppy since she decided to stalk Naruto. I guess dobe finally realized her feelings for him since it was stupidly obvious.'_

Scuffing, his vision turned to a person hidden in the shadows as far away from the light as possible. Before Sasuke could get a good look at the person, his view was drawn to the final person, who created the shadow clone and called him "Bird Ass", and it temporarily made him forget about the shadow person. Sasuke frowned as he mentally looked between Hinata and Kurai, extremely confused as he tried to figure out what was going on_. _

'_That can't be Hinata's sister I heard about because this kunoichi is too old. It's not a shadow clone either because their chakra is different from each other. What the hell…?'_

Sasuke then turned his gaze to Naruto who was chuckling at the confused look on Sasuke's face.

"Wow, this must be the first time I actually seen you this confused teme."

"What- how- who-" Sasuke tried to piece the situation together but was having a hard time as Naruto sighed and said he would explain everything later.

"This is Kurai, by the way, and you're in a cave near Konoha-" Naruto started but was interrupted by Sasuke who sneered.

"Dobe, you explain to me who she is now because there won't be time later after I finish destroying you and Konoha. Thanks for making it easier for me to get here."

Noticing the group all turn their attention towards the person in the shadows, he heard a sigh and looked as the person started walking forward.

"Foolish brother…" the voice said, making Sasuke's eyes go wide in fear as he heard the voice from the last person he was expecting. "Haven't you learned by now that revenge isn't the best answer?"

A snort was heard nearby while Sasuke had yet to take his eyes off the person in the shadows.

"Not likely since he's still trying" Naruto muttered as Sasuke asked loudly, "who are you?" to the figure coming out of the shadows. Smirking, the shadowed figure stepped closer to the fires to reveal Itachi who was smiling at his little brother. Sasuke grew real quiet as he looked at his supposedly blind and dead brother who was staring at him with un-blind and life-filled eyes smiling at him.

"Hey "Katana", you're going to just sit there all day or are you going to do something?" Kurai asked making Sasuke snap out his trance and look at her.

"…" was Sasuke only response until he started making some quick hand seals which in turn caused Naruto to curse.

"Kuso, he's using Chidori Current" Naruto yelled as Hinata and Kurai stepped in front of the boys and began to build a chakra force-field just as Sasuke finished making hand seals.

"Chidori Current" he cried out as electrified chakra went in every direction, hitting the clone Kurai made making it disappear along with his sight. Sensing that his attack didn't hit them due to lack of bodies falling, he turned in the direction he last saw them.

"You idiot that could have hit us" Kurai replied angrily as she and Hinata stopped making the chakra wall and glared at the smirking Uchiha.

"That was the point" he said still smirking until he heard an animalistic snarl come from the direction of the group and quickly got up from his seat.

"Kurai-chan, no stop" Itachi called out as Sasuke jumped back in time to narrowly missed Kurai's claws as she changed back into her hanyo form. The attack, close enough where he could feel the wind from it, was intercepted as Hinata appeared next to Kurai and tackled her to the ground. Sensing that the two kunoichi were busy, Sasuke found now was the perfect time to get rid of his two biggest problems. Making hand seals, that went unseen by all except Naruto who was watching him, he brought his hand to his mouth and did his second most famous jutsu, the first being chidori. '_Fire style: Great Fireball jutsu_' he thought as he sent a giant ball of fire heading straight towards Itachi who didn't see in time.

"NOOO" Kurai screamed as the attack was about to engulf Itachi when he was pushed out of the way by Naruto who took the full blast of the attack. Kyuubi quickly fueled chakra to Naruto in time to prevent him from being burned to death. He still held many burn marks all over his body as he was cleanly knocked out when he was thrown against the wall, due to the fact that although the chakra cloak shielded him it strengthen the attack due to Naruto's wind element. The cave went silent after that attack and the group looked at Sasuke who seemed proud that he "got rid of" Naruto, but inside he felt a twinge of pain as he believed he killed the only person who had tried and become his friend. However his attention was soon brought back to the cave as he felt two strong surges of chakra and two powerful killing intents aimed at him as he turned his attention to the two kunoichi who were on the ground. Paying attention to the two kunoichi, Sasuke didn't sense when Naruto reverted back to his hanyo form as the kunoichi also changed, too angry to keep up the appearance anymore. They quickly stood as chakra formed all around them as they let out more animalistic snarls and growls. Sasuke, actually became uneasy, as he felt the chakra around the girls only grow stronger and stronger, almost the point of being the same as Naruto's, Hinata's chakra might be even stronger. Surprised, Sasuke suddenly felt his vision restore, although the bandages were still covering his face as he caught a glimpse of the girl's new forms. Kurai's chakra, still rushing through him, activated causing him to see the cat and fox like cloak around Hinata and Kurai who then charged, crazed looks in their eyes as they were hunting for a certain fire and lightning chakra using Uchiha. As Sasuke jumped back, he tried to activate his sharingan but found to his horror that he couldn't. Cursing mentally, he tried to dodge their attacks to the best of his ability as he asked himself what kind of mess that he got into and would he actually make it out alive this time.


	10. Dance by the light of the Vulpine Moon

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Chapter 8- _Dance into the night by the light of the vulpine moon_

"Kurai-chan, Hinata-chan, please stop attacking him" Itachi asked the angry kunoichi but his pleas fell on deaf ears as the girls continued after the ducking and dodging Uchiha. Realizing his cries were useless he quickly went over to the unconscious blonde and tried to wake him up.

"Come on Naruto-kun, I can't take these girls on my own. Wake up" he said as he kept nudging the still knocked out blonde who didn't so much as whimper at being shaken. Itachi then noticed the burn marks on the fox vessel's body began to heal, which gave him an idea.

"Kyuubi, help me stop them" Itachi asked as he noticed the red chakra forming around Naruto and turned his attention back to the battling trio. Sasuke, who knew that something was inside Naruto, stopped in surprise as Itachi ask the Kyuubi for help. Before he could have time to remember what he heard about the name Kyuubi he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down at his shirt which had slashes in it where one of the girls used their claws to strike him. Sasuke looked up in time to barely dodge a clawed hand as he noticed the animal appendages and their slit eyes as he continued to avoid the two pissed off kunoichi's attacks.

'_What is the strange power emitting from them and what is with the animal traits?'_ Sasuke thought until a red aura caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Sasuke paused in surprise as the chakra completely engulfed Naruto who then started changing as his one orange tail split into nine red tails and he seemed to grow as the Kyuubi temporarily took over. Dedicating his attention to Naruto he made the mistake of taking his eyes off the girls who was still battling him. Hearing a roar, he didn't turn in time to see Hinata and Kurai slash at his arms, rendering them un-useable as they manage to stop the flow of chakra to his arms. As he tried to jump out the way the girls anticipated this and quickly attacked his legs making them useless too. Unable to defend himself, Sasuke somehow manage to back himself up against the wall and sat as the girls went in for the kill. Sasuke was unusually calm as he found it ironic that the last time he almost fought to the death was against his brother against the back of a wall. Waiting for their attacks, Sasuke was surprised when a dark blur in the form of Itachi grabbed and held on to Kurai before she could attack him.

"Calm down Kurai-chan, please" Itachi begged as he restrained the kunoichi before he started whispering something in her ear that seemed to calm her down as the chakra cloak slowly disappeared. With one of the dangers down, Sasuke turned back to Hinata and noticed that she was about to strike. With the intent to kill radiating off of her, Hinata looked at him with slit eyes and a voice that sent a chill down his spine.

"You hurt my Naruto-kun," Hinata said in an almost demonic way as she brought a chakra clad claw above her head, "I'll kill you" she said before bringing her arm down aiming for Sasuke's head and down toward his heart. Just then a deep voice called out, "Hinata, stop" and her arm stopped a few inches away from his face. Noticing a fluffy red tail, he followed it back to the origin where he was shocked to see it attached to Naruto…who didn't look like himself. Sasuke watch as "Naruto" seemed to absorb the chakra around Hinata as she blinked and managed to come out of some kind of trance. Gasping as she noticed what she was about to do to Sasuke, she quickly stepped back into Kyuubi's, who took over Naruto's body, arms tears running down her face.

"I-I'm so sorry, Sasuke, Itachi-san, I-I do-don't know wh-what came o-over m-m-me" Hinata sobbed out as the tears continued down her face as Kyuubi let go of her arm and change back to Naruto's true form for the blonde was regaining conscious. Feeling a hand on her face, Hinata looked up into Naruto's blue eyes as he wiped away her tears. Shocked at Naruto's new form Sasuke slightly jumped when Itachi went over to him, picked him up and set him back down on a rock next to the fire. Feeling Kurai's chakra die down again, his vision went, leaving him in a world of darkness.

"You're in no position to fight, Sasuke" Itachi said sadly as he noticed the wounds all over his brother's body from being arrogant. Sasuke, for once, didn't say anything and just nodded slightly as he sat there. Feeling a touch on his arm, he flinch slightly before he calmed down when Kurai began to fuel chakra so he could see again.

"How are you alive, why does Naruto look like that, what happened to the Hyuuga girl-" Sasuke began to ask when he was silenced by a hand placed on his head by Itachi before he joined the others. Looking at them, they nodded as they all gathered in front of Sasuke as Kurai made a clone and joined them as he began to speak again.

"Calm down, Sasuke I'll explain everything to you now" Itachi stated right as somebody stomach started growling.

"…right after I get some food" Itachi said as the others started laughing and retrieving his backpack from the corner. Itachi picked it up, placed it on the rock where he opened it to see a large bag full of onigirl and dango, a container filled with hot green tea, a round fruit like a berry and a note. Looking at Sasuke he took out the bag, container, fruit, and note and handed the bag to Kurai, the container to Naruto, the fruit to Hinata while he read the note_. _

"_First give Sasuke the berry to eat along with an onigirl and cup of tea. By the time you finish telling him everything his wounds should heal and his eyesight restored. You will also find some clothes in their later if he decides to make the right choice and will help you in reaching your goal. Y.H."_

Itachi watched as Hinata handed the berry to Sasuke who just held it in his hand.

"What kind of fruit is this?" Sasuke asked, glaring at the little ball in his hand, not taking the chance at eating something he didn't know what it was. Itachi chuckled at how Sasuke reacted very much in the same manner he did when he first had to take the medicine.

"Eat it now before I shove it up-" Kurai started saying, still irritated, before she was cut off by Itachi's hand placed over her mouth. With Naruto and Hinata chuckling, Sasuke quickly placed the berry in his mouth for he was sure Kurai was good at keeping her unfinished threat. Chewing the unusual berry that tasted strangely like tomatoes, he swallowed it then ate the onigirl and drank the tea he was handed. As everybody else started eating, they had shed their henge and showed Sasuke their animal traits, surprising Sasuke when he saw his brother had them too. Shocked, Sasuke remained quiet as the group each told their part of the story on what had happened over the past two weeks or so. As they finished with them finding and bringing him back, Sasuke's eyes began to tingle as he saw the white of the bandage covering his face. Taking it off quickly, he realized that he could activate his sharingan and did just that looking at Naruto.

"I'm checking to see if you were using some sort of genjutsu or had something planted in you" he said quickly as he noticed Hinata tensed up. Naruto began to fuel the Kyuubi chakra so Sasuke could see the truth. Surprised, he realized they were telling the truth and deactivated his sharingan as Naruto reverted back to his hanyo form.

"So what are you going to do now, Sasuke? Are you going to try and continue to destroy Konoha?" Naruto asked as he and Hinata blocked the exit just in case he decided revenge was greater. Sasuke looked up at the four serious faces and did something he hadn't done since his childhood. He smiled and shook his head no.

"No, I'm done trying to get revenge as it seems there is nothing for me to revenge anymore" he said looking at his brother's smile. Just then Naruto's stomach growled loudly as he complained saying he was still hungry while Sasuke just laughed saying that Naruto was still the same.

"You can go ahead and go get some food Naruto-kun, we'll stay here" Hinata said ignoring her growling stomach while Naruto frowned clearly hearing as everybody stomach growled in the quiet cave.

"I trust Sasuke to keep his word so he can come too" he said surprising Sasuke who thought for sure Naruto would do just that. He was even more surprised for the reason they was staying in the cave with him.

"Oh we're not staying because we don't believe he will keep his word, we're staying because if he goes out the ANBU will be on him faster than 'Busty' is on sake."

"Busty?" Sasuke asked looking at Kurai with a confused look on his face. Hearing Itachi sigh he turned his head in time to see his brother shaking his head as he said that Kurai-kun liked to give people nicknames.

"Yea, and unlike Sai I purposely give them the nickname I choose to get a reaction out of them. Speaking of Sai, here you go Hinata" Kurai said pulling out a couple of scrolls with a knowing grin on her face. Hinata, who eyes grew wide, quickly took the scrolls, put them in her bag, and thanked Kurai, all with a big blush on her cheeks. Staring at the two kunoichi, they shrugged as they were used to it and thought about ways to let Sasuke come along without being seen.

"He could use a henge" Naruto suggested but Itachi shook his head.

"They would still be able to sense him and it would be bad if we passed Kakashi or somebody who could easily recognize him."

As the group pondered, Itachi looked down and realized he still had the note in his hand.

"Hey what about the clothes the note said would be in the bag?" Hinata reminded everybody as Itachi went to burn the note on the fire. Remembering that, Itachi opened his backpack where they were a new set of clothing already there waiting as Sasuke look in surprise, knowing that they weren't there earlier. Itachi then handed the clothes to Sasuke and told him to put them on saying that they would help hide his chakra.

"I have a pair of clothes like these too, they effectively hide your chakra signature as long as you use a little at a time as not to give yourself away."

Naruto then opened his bag and pulled out Sasuke's old hitai-ate with the line scratched on it still. Concentrating, Naruto fueled his chakra through the protector, causing it to glow, which everybody watched as the line scratched into it slowly disappeared until the hitai-ate was as good as new. Asking the girls to wait outside, which they did heading for the cave door, Naruto and Itachi then asked Sasuke all that had happen since he left with Orochimaru. As the boys were changing, Hinata was talking with Kurai, who seemed to be depressed about something as both used their byakugan to watch out for danger.

"Is everything alright, Kurai?" Hinata asked looking at her counter-part who just remained quiet. "I never seen you get that worked-up over Itachi like that. I mean when the fireball was heading towards him I heard and felt deep pain in your voice and heart. Please tell me what's going on?" Hinata asked softly as tears began to fall from Kurai's eyes. Sniffing she told Hinata what was wrong with her.

"I…have feelings for Itachi-kun" Kurai started out as she looked at Hinata who nodded saying she guessed.

"So why don't you tell him then" Hinata asked but frowned when she saw Kurai shake her head.

"It's not that I don't want to its just I can't. No I'm not scared to tell him it's just…I had this dream and…" Kurai then told Hinata about a dream she had saying her time was running out. "I have about a month left before I will disappear back into you. As much as I want to tell him my feelings I can't because…I won't be here much longer to do anything with them" Kurai said crying into Hinata's shoulder as she said she felt her pain.

"We will find a way, Kurai. We will find a way."

Kurai looked at Hinata and smiled saying, "Thank you for listening to me and my troubles." Nodding, the girls went back to searching as Hinata thought of a way to cheer Kurai up. Kurai looking around heard Hinata gasp and her face grow red.

"What, what is it?" Kurai asked until she noticed Hinata's line of sight and begin to laugh as they mentally talked to each other. Finish changing the boys exited the cave to see both kunoichi giggling up a storm as they exchanged looks. An eyebrow raised, the boys watch as the girls smiled saying don't bother to ask because they won't tell them. Sighing, Sasuke asked where they were going to eat, knowing that Naruto would suggest ramen. He surprised everybody went he suggested BBQ saying that he didn't want the others seeing them just yet. Agreeing the group headed to Yakiniku Q where everybody ordered the all-you-can-BBQ and surprised a lot of people around as they ate a lot of BBQ, almost as much as Chouji.

"Animal traits" Naruto said between bites as Sasuke noticed how much BBQ they were eating. As the group laughed and joked around, Sasuke remained quiet as he slowly ate his food, feeling out of place and awkward. The four hanyou, sensing Sasuke's turmoil at being "left out" and decided to try and make Sasuke feel more comfortable. As they finished eating their food the group got up and left the place for snacks.

"Let's head to the dango shop" Hinata suggested knowing that they all had a sweet tooth.

"I don't really like sweets" Sasuke said but with much pleading from the group he finally caved in thinking it funny that his brother was along the ones begging too. The group entered the dango shop, first making sure Anko or Kurenai wasn't there, and ordered a lot of sweets as Sasuke sighed and went to sit down. Watching him leave, Hinata whispered to the cooks and handed them a piece of paper with a recipe on it. Nodding they went to make their order as the group joined Sasuke and began to drink their tea.

"You don't know what you've been missing, 'Katana'. Hinata getting stronger, Hinata owning Kisame in the cave, scaring the other teams with our ghostly tricks, Itachi controlling a thousand naked Tsunade-"

Sasuke choked on his tea after he heard Kurai mention that last one while Itachi sighed and asked Kurai why she had to mention that in which she answered that it was funny and that Sasuke looked like he needed a good laugh right now.

"What?" Sasuke asked looking at his brother who had small smile on his face before he nodded. The group then explained all the pranks and stunts they did over the past few weeks as the waitress came over and handed them their food. Staring as a plate full of dangos was placed in front of him, different the usual three colored dumplings the rest of the group got, he picked one up and took a bite. His face held a look of surprise as he continued eating them saying they were good.

"I asked to cook to make those special for you, they're not as sweet as regular dumplings and they're tomato-flavored since I know they're your favorite food."

Surprised at the kind gesture, he thanked her and joined in the group with tales of some of Naruto's pranks when he was younger, clearly enjoying himself. Sasuke didn't realize how much he missed the friendly atmosphere as the group finished their snack and got up to leave for a little clothes shopping. The group of 5 all decided to get new outfits as they joked around some more saying that some clothing they wouldn't need which then they filled Sasuke in on the second fight for heiress.

"Hey, what was the money and list about after you came back in?" Itachi asked forgetting to when he returned to the house. Noticing how Kurai was smirking, Hinata blushing, and Naruto laughing saying he should take tips from Kurai he changed his mind and said he didn't want to know. As the group left the clothing store, they picked up a familiar angry aura when the group heard someone chuckle evilly. Turning to Hinata, they noticed the evil smile she tried to hide but failed at as they noticed the angry pink-haired kunoichi heading towards them.

"I want details later" is all Kurai said as she grabbed Sasuke and teleport away with him along with Itachi just as Sakura came into view.

"Hey Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" Naruto asked as he could practically see the steam coming out of her ears as she said angrily, "someone is going to pay."

"I took a nap by a tree to and when I wake up, I sleeping next to Lee of all people. He then started talking about the power of youth and some strange reason I couldn't use my chakra so I told him I didn't care and that I wasn't dating him. Then he told me that I did, that's why I sent him a letter saying to meet him by the tree and that if he could find me within 20 minutes of getting the letter that I would go out with him for a month. A MONTH! When I find out who did this they will pay!" Sakura held up a now glowing glove as she imagined the person she would beat to a pulp.

"Who do you think it was Sakura?" Hinata asked casually nobody but Naruto hearing the laughter in her voice. Looking at Hinata, she suddenly looked down and started muttering saying she didn't have any leads yet so she didn't know. Looking up, she remembered something and looked at Naruto and Hinata then informed them that Tsunade had wanted to talk to them. Nodding, the duo followed the pink-haired kunoichi to the Hokage's office while Naruto was having a nice little chat with Hinata who had a small smirk on her face. As they entered the office, the first thing they noticed was the large amount of food on her desk which Naruto had to say something about.

"Wow, baa-chan, if you keep eating that much food, you could put Chouji family to shame."

Hinata started laughing at Naruto's loud outburst. Tsunade glared at the loud blonde as Sakura tried and punch him with a loud, "Naruto, you idiot." However, neither Tsunade nor Sakura was expecting Naruto to dodge the blow, grab Sakura's arm and bring her arm around her back as to stop her from trying to hit him again.

"Naruto-kun let go of Sakura's arm please" Hinata asked softly, trying to hide the laugh at Sakura's surprised look on her face. Doing so, he suddenly disappeared only to reappear next to Hinata without so much as a hand sign.

"Sakura please leave" Tsunade said a smile heard in her voice as Sakura stared at Naruto.

'_When did he go so much stronger and faster too?'_ Sakura thought as she left the room to tell the other kunoichi what she just witnessed. As Naruto and Hinata looked at Tsunade, the two lovebirds were thinking the same thing, _'something is different about her'_.Mentally shrugging it off and saying it might have something to do with the coma they looked at her when she asked where Kurai was at.

"She's at home" is there only answer as Tsunade nod before continuing.

"I have another special mission for you three that involves you to travel into territory outside of the fire nation where…you will find the answer to your problem."

Seeing that they understood she explained where their mission was taking place.

"You are to go to the hidden rain village Amegakure and find research on the condition between Kurai and Hinata."

Both of them had looks of surprise as they couldn't believe their luck.

"I will let you gather the team but I'd advise you choose only those you can trust. Also you will have to go secretly because I don't want the others thinking I'm picking favorites. I want you to leave as soon as possible so quickly pack your bags and head off" Tsunade said as she went back to eating.

"Tsunade-sama, can I ask who our instructor will be?" Hinata asked as she knew that they would have to have to ditch their instructor sooner or later to do what they had to do. That's when Tsunade seemed to freeze as if etched in ice before she blinked and said that she couldn't spare instructors.

"I will trust you to be safe and make the right decisions and choose wisely on who you want to take."

Naruto was staring at Tsunade for she wasn't acting like herself.

"Okay, thanks baa-chan" Naruto called out loudly as he quickly teleported to avoid a stapler that was thrown at him.

"I don't see how she can take that brat" Tsunade said as she looked through the drawers and found a bottle of sake.

"…oh now I see."

As the group teleported home, they told them of their good fortune at finding a mission to the rain village.

"Okay, there no way we happen to luck up on two impossible missions to places that we need to go at exactly the right time" Kurai said as the others agreed although they weren't going to question it now.

"Let's pack then" and the group quickly packed their things as Itachi disappeared only to reappear with a backpack for Sasuke, a design of hawks on it. As soon as everybody was ready, they quickly headed for the Konoha gates where they noticed Neji who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Hey Hoot" Kurai called out the distracted Hyuuga as everybody looked at her.

"Hoot?" they asked and Kurai explained saying that it would be rather difficult to make the connection.

"Hoot is the sound an owl make which can almost turn its head 360 degrees and are known for their good eyesight and quiet flying when bringing down prey which reminds me of Neji."

The group nodded, strangely seeing the connection as Neji seemed to be staring at them.

"Where are you all going?" he asked as he noticed their backpacks full of stuff.

"Off to the rain village, but don't tell the others because it's a secret mission" Naruto said, getting a nod from Neji who seemed to be staring at Hinata.

"Neji nii-san" Hinata called out snapping him out of his thoughts as he focused on Hinata's face.

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind that's all. I'll tell ojisan where you're headed Hinata-sama." Neji said as he watched them move towards the gate.

"Thank you and Neji…call me Hinata neechan because there is no need for formalities from family."

Neji blinked and nodded saying he would as Kurai went over and whispered something in his ear which made him blush as he thanked her for the "gift". As they left through the gate, Hinata asked what kind of gift she got Neji and she responded with, "the same gift I got you" earning a blush from Hinata who didn't stay nothing else. Back at the gates, Neji waited till they were out of range of eyesight before activating his byakugan and noticed a lot of things about the group.

'_She is…more confident than she was before. Who knew…of the great power she held inside and the power she still haven't tapped into yet. I believe she will be ready soon'_ Neji thought as he made his way back home to inform his uncle of Hinata's departure. In some trees around where the group, who reverted back to their hanyo form, except Sasuke, was headed, our (my) favorite pair was busy bickering to each other.

"Nice going, Maru you almost blew your cover, now they suspect something is up" JT said looking at the Kakashi look-alike as he glared at her with his one eye covered.

"They're going aren't they" Maru answered back as JT rolled her eyes.

"I could've done better." Scuffing, he narrowed his eye at JT before saying, "Like you did when you controlled Kakashi. At least I'm able to control a Kage unlike you…"

As the group traveled ahead on foot, they suddenly heard hissing and growling as two quick blurs ran passed them almost too fast to be seen before they disappeared into the forest once again. Ignoring the fighting animals, the group didn't notice when the shadow of a person was slowly following them all the way to their destination.

"Has anybody been to the rain village before?" Naruto asked as soon as they were out of hearing range, looking around at the group. Itachi nodded and said that he had with Kisame once before.

"It's about a four day walk from here by foot" Itachi said as they continued walking.

"Let's bring out our friends and fly our way there" Kurai suggested, wanting to do more summoning but Itachi shook his head.

"Although riding on the back of kitsune and bake-neko is faster we need to keep a low profile as we go into other nations."

Kurai pouted while the group tried to think of a way to get there faster without summoning foxes and cats.

"I can summon a hawk big enough to carry all of us." Sasuke said which everybody agreed would be a good idea. So with the usual hand seals and mutter of words, Sasuke summoned a large hawk that landed next to them so they climb aboard.

"Can I summon a small one just to ride along, please?" Kurai begged using the sad-puss-in-boots look on Itachi who tried to resist but failed. Sighing, he said as long as it didn't endanger the hawk while Kurai mewled in joy. Sasuke then watched as the four summoned four different animals and they climbed on board. Naruto summoned a frog, Hinata a one tailed fox, Kurai a two tailed cat, and Itachi his summoning raven.

"Gifts" they muttered as they all noticed Sasuke's curious face. Nodding, Sasuke jumped on as the hawk took off towards the rain village. After flying for about 10 minutes, Kyuubi asked Naruto to tell Sasuke to head in a different direction.

"Hey Sasuke, can we head to Suna in the wind country?" Naruto asked as Kyuubi thanked him for asking.

"That's out of our way Naruto besides what's in Suna that's important?" Naruto then told Sasuke about Gaara becoming Kazekage and a promise he made. "We just want to go visit an old friend and pay our respects, that's all" Naruto said not adding who their "old friend" was. With a confused look he quickly hid, Sasuke nodded okay and asked the hawk to fly to Suna where it squawked in answer and changed direction. The trip was fun as they all started grooming their ears and tails while Sasuke either watched, joined in by brushing their tails, or look at their summonings who were enjoying the ride. Night had fallen when they finally flew over the desert and Itachi's raven, which was called "Kara-chan" by the group, flew beside them enjoying the night air. As the group saw Suna come into view, Kurai looked down and noticed something that made her cry out.

"Hey, let's land I see Tema, Kanky, and Bandit, HEY BANDIT!" Kurai yelled out causing the group to laugh as Sasuke looked at her weirdly before landing the hawk. As the hawk landed, the group jumped down and ran to the awaiting Sand Siblings who greeted the happy group, Kankuro a frown on his face while Temari laughed. As they asked how they were, the Sand Siblings noticed Sasuke walking towards them and was about to attack when the group quickly explained what happened. Nodding, the Sand siblings watch as Sasuke, who looked uncomfortable, joined the group as they went towards the oasis with the fox skull. Looking at the skull, the group bowed and paid their respects as Naruto and Hinata felt tears in their eyes. Knowing what to do, they summoned up some fox fire, much to the surprise of Sasuke, and threw it on the ground letting it burn for a bit before stomping it out. As the tears rolled off their cheeks and hit the soil, Sasuke watched in amazement as the tears suddenly bloom into 9 lotus flowers, 3 blue and 6 yellow. As the group picked up the flowers, Naruto and Hinata walked over to the edge of the oasis and let their tears fall into the water creating 9 pearl stones. Sasuke went and picked up the 9 stones and marveled at its liquid like center. As the group got together, they handed out the flowers and pearls to everybody. They gave the blue flowers and 3 stones to Hinata, Kurai, and Temari who went to the oasis to wait while the boys got the yellow flowers and stones, Naruto received 2 of them for himself and Kyuubi as they joined the girls. As Sasuke watches the group place the stones on top of the flower and place it in the water, he suddenly got an idea and went over to Itachi's backpack. Opening it up, he pulled out the bag of onigirl where 9 of them were left and placed one onto the flower.

The others who were surprised that Sasuke out of the blue did that thought it was a good idea and followed suit. As they placed the offerings on the water again, Temari used her new fan, which took less chakra, to create a gentle breeze to send the offering toward the skull with the group watching, a knowing smile on their face except Sasuke who looked curious. As the offerings reach the fox skull, it suddenly glowed and lifted off its place on the rock as Sasuke reached for his katana but noticed that nobody else didn't so much as twitch_. _

'_Has this happened before and was this what Naruto meant by seeing an old friend?' _Sasuke thought as he watch the rock split to show an opening as the skull floated back down onto its spot on the left. The group watched as the flowers seemed to float in the air and enter the split where they disappeared into the darkness. As soon as the flowers disappeared a gentle voice called out from the dark cave.

"Enter my friends" the voice said as the group smiled and began to walk on the water of the oasis to the cave with a slowly following Sasuke who wasn't sure if he was supposed to go or not. As soon as they entered the cave, they all stopped for somebody was waiting just inside in the darkness. The group realizing why he was there, split to show Sasuke who stayed in the back, unsure if he was supposed to move or not.

"Come forth, Sasuke" the voice said as Sasuke looked at Itachi, who nodded, stepped forward and waited to see what the voice had to say. "You're in conflict with yourself because you don't know who you truly are" the voice said serious making Sasuke flinch slightly. "You've been living in your brother's shadow, trying to prove to your father your worth." Sasuke head tilted in shame, but he looked up again when the voice continued. "But don't blame your brother for he could see the true power you have. All you have to do is tap into the power and make the right decisions. It's time you rise out of your brother's shadow and instead of walking behind him…walk beside him."

The group was in shock at how powerful Inari's words were as Sasuke actually started crying, tears of a little kid who has been hurt, as he nodded and said he would. "You are you and no one should take that away from you. Arise above your father's expectations by being you." Sasuke never felt better in his whole entire life as if a burden had been lifted off of him as he thanked the voice and went over to his brother standing at his side. The silhouette nodded and withdrew further into the cave. The group then followed Inari to the back of the cave where they saw the silhouettes of two more beings who they knew. Before Sasuke could ask who they were, a golden flame was produced right in front of the middle fox which used his tail to throw it on the fire, illuminating the whole cave area. That's when Sasuke saw Inari, Yokaze, and Li standing there and smiling down at him.

"Hey Naruto what's with the foxes on the stands up there?" Naruto's summoning frog said, making everybody jump for they forgot that the summonings were still there. As with the first time the group entered, they made introductions where Sasuke stood fascinated that the fox deity was standing before him.

"Thanks for the onigirl" Yokaze said as she ate the second onigirl that was in front of her while Li was wiping rice off his mouth with his tail.

"Now Sasuke, Itachi could you please come forth?" Inari asked as Sasuke and Itachi nodded and moved in front of Inari. Using two of his tails, he placed them on their forehead protectors and began to fuel chakra. As they started glowing, Sasuke felt a weird sensation take over him that lasted for a few seconds when they stopped glowing.

"There I have fixed your eyes so know you have the ability to activate your sharingan in your hanyo form. You're eyesight has improved greatly and your sharingan is now more powerful. Also…" Inari stopped talking and looked at the brothers, or more specifically Sasuke. "Kurai fueled him with chakra too" Inari stated more than asked as the boys nodded. "That explains…well no harm, no foul. It seems that Kurai's chakra has affected your inner animal which has changed but that is to be expected under the circumstances."

The Uchiha boys looked at each other when Sasuke looked at everybody else as Itachi continued to look at his brother. Sasuke then noticed Gaara and stated in surprise, "You have them too" as he turned his attention to Temari and Kankuro who didn't.

"So do you" everybody in the cave replied making Sasuke feel the top of his head where he felt a pair of furry ears prodding from his hair. He then turned and noticed the dark blue tail behind him as he looked at Inari.

"Truthfully, your inner animals were that of weasel and a hawk but due to Kurai having a special connection with the both of you, your animal forms have changed to match those of your mate."

Sasuke nodded, although still confused as Itachi turned to look at Kurai who was blushing slightly and avoiding his eye contact. As Sasuke and Itachi rejoined them, Naruto made a joke about them being an animal clan. The group chuckled at the lame joke as Yokaze smiled and said, "not yet because you're still short one member."

"HUH" they cried as they looked at Yokaze, Li, and then Inari who started glowing and looking behind them.

"Come forth, for I know you're there, you're welcome into my home."

A silhouette was seen before a person they all knew made his way towards them.

Me: Anybody want to make any guesses on who the mysterious person is?

Naruto: Not really, but I have a question based on some chapters back …

Me: ok, what is it *getting bad feeling*

Naruto: shadow clone jutsu (blocks me in with clones)

Me: Eek *tries to escape but can't*

Naruto: who are the mysterious people that were in our house?

Me: I can't tell you yet…

Naruto: tell me or I will sic Gai and Lee on you about the power of youth!

Me: NOOOOOOOO *passes out from thought*

Naruto: …uh oh (clones disappear, then disappear)

"Sai, what are you doing here?" Naruto yelled out as Sai walked into the room, his face expressionless as he turned towards Naruto.

"I was tailing you because you have been acting weird since you came back from iron country."

That's when Sai turned to look at Sasuke.

"I know that this is Sasuke and I'm guessing the person he standing next to is Itachi who is still an S-ranked criminal."

Kurai hissed like a cat as she stood in front of the Uchiha brothers and said, "You're going to have to get to them through me first" as she went into a fighting stance.

"There's no need for that" Li said, used to breaking up clan fights.

"That's right he isn't going turn anybody in or tell, right Sai?" Yokaze asked looking at Sai who nodded, surprising the group in the cave. Sai then face showed a mask of sadness as he looked at Naruto.

"All my life, I was taught to get rid of my emotions and learn not how to feel. When I see you with your friends, I wished I had the same bonds you had with them, but every time I try I seem to make things worse."

"Maybe because books aren't a good source on understanding emotion" Naruto muttered before he was hushed by Hinata as Sai seemed to be even more upset.

"If not telling helps earn a strong bond like you have, then I will carry your secret to my grave" Sai said with seriousness in his voice.

The group went silent after Sai's outburst about keeping their secret. Suddenly they all smiled as Hinata went over to Sai, grabbed his hand, and tugged him back to where they were standing.

"Welcome to the group, Sai" she said as he stood in shock at what she had just done and said. Sai then gave a real genuine smile as he thanked her and stood next to them as they looked at Inari who was also smiling.

"Now that the all the members are accounted for, you need a name for your group" Li spoke up just as group started muttering about what would be a good name.

"How about we call ourselves _'Fox Trot'_?" Naruto suggested but Sasuke interrupted by saying it was stupid.

"I'll have to agree with him, Naruto" the little frog said as Naruto gave him a glare, which made him disappear along with the rest of the summonings except Itachi's raven, before he looked back at Sasuke. "Well then you come up with something better, teme" and they then continued arguing as Itachi watched secretly laughing at how opposite those two were.

"I know how about _'Were Pair'_?" Kankuro said right before he was smacked in the head with Temari's fan. Hinata silently giggled as she saw Kankuro rubbed his head where Temari had hit him.

"Kankuro that's worse than _'Fox Trot'_…way worse" Temari said as she started arguing with her brother as Gaara and Sai remained quiet watching the two pair fight. Thankfully, the group was saved by Hinata who came up with the best name for them.

"Is the _'Silver Fox Clan'_ okay?" Hinata asked as the group quiet down and looked at here than at each other.

"That's brilliant" they said in sync as Hinata blushed at being the center of attention. Inari, nodding in agreement, turned to Li and asked him to bring his scrolls from the back. Li nodded, got up from his position and went to the back of the cave where Inari's things were kept.

"Kankuro, Temari, and Sai could you come forth please" Inari asked and the three summoned went ahead to stand in front of the fox. Using three of his tails, he sent his power throughout the trio, thus awakening their inner animal like the others. Temari and Sai were in the form of wolves while Kankuro was a leopard who had small spots on his ears and tail.

"Well now you can't say you're a cat, Kankuro" Temari teased as Kankuro frowned making everybody laugh for they knew Kankuro was teased about having cat-like ears on his hood. Just then, Li came back with several scrolls in his tail that he placed in front of Inari. Motioning for everybody to come forth, he then handed everybody except Itachi a new scroll.

"These are personal summoning scrolls for all of you. Itachi you already have yours, the raven that is on your shoulder. These summoning animal can and only will be summoned by you so enjoy them for they can be very useful. They have the ability to grow or shrink depending on the situation, each has their own special ability like Itachi's raven can cast genjutsu by shedding feathers, and they also can henge to be used as a personal servant…like Li."

Li just held a scowl on his face as the group laughed knowing that Inari was only joking.

"Yoha-oh thank you" Inari said as he was about to call his daughter but she was already at his side with more gifts. "For Sasuke I give you a new katana, now you're able to send fire through your katana and will learn a new steel jutsu that strengthens the blade as to make your attacks more powerful. For Sai I give you a new ink set, now this one is different and more advanced and opens up a lot of choices and attacks you can use."

Sai opened up the ink set and found six different sets of ink: black, red, blue, green, brown, and yellow.

"The black ink is your standard ink and can be used for your usual jutsus and such. Now the colored inks are different since I sense you don't know how to combine your element with your art, so I helped you with that. Each ink consists of a different element: red is fire, blue is water, green is wind, brown is earth, and yellow is lightning."

Sai closed the ink set and bow to Inari, saying thanking you, as he went back to the group smiling slightly. He motioned to Itachi, who walked over to him, and whispered something in his ear that made Itachi smile and nod. Making some quick hand signs, he summoned a bake-neko that also carried the summoning scroll with him and asked Sasuke to come here. Sasuke, looking at the scroll, went forward and asked him what kind of contract it was.

"It's a summoning contract for bake-neko, the two tailed monster cat and Inari gave me the contract to hold."

Sasuke looked at the contract and then at his brother.

"You want me to sign? But don't I have to prove myself or something?" Sasuke asked, but his brother shook his head no.

"No because you already proved yourself by being here with us instead of going back to Madara."

Smiling, Sasuke signed the bake-neko contract which then disappeared along with Itachi's cat summoning. Watching them go back to their positions, Inari nodded to Yohaze and Li before saying, "Kyuubi, come forth" where Kyuubi stood in front of him in human form. Kyuubi and Inari soon left for the back to have a talk when Yohaze and Li told them to summon their animal partners as they prepared the food.

"Food? Is there something special happening or what?" Naruto asked but the foxes had already left out the cave entrance. Shrugging, everybody then summoned either their personal animal and/or one from a previous summoning.

"Hey everybody" the group's summoning said as they looked around the room, taking in the group.

"Gamakichi, you grew" Naruto exclaimed, noticing the toad that was taller than him. "And what's your name?" Naruto asked looking at the orange one tailed fox he just summoned.

"My name is Yipsu, please to meet you" the little orange fox said looking up at Naruto. They got familiar with their summoning as Naruto had summoned Gamakichi the frog and his personal summoning Yipsu the one tailed fox while Hinata had summoned her personal summoning Konona who was also a one tailed fox. Itachi and Kurai had summoned the 2 two tailed bake-neko from before who were named Nekata and Matan while Itachi petted his summoning raven, Kara, who was currently resting on his shoulder. Temari had summoned her weasel "Sickle" nicknamed by Kurai along with her new personal summoning Ookao the wolf. Kankuro's summoned his snow leopard Yuki while Gaara's tanuki, Coon, whose name was so cute that Kurai didn't want to give it a nickname. Last was Sasuke's hawk, Tiki, which was still outside, his bakeneko, Keka, and Sai's wolf Ookio that looked around before joining the other summonings. After they finished summoning, the group followed Yohaze and Li outside to find the oasis come alive with decorations, food, drinks, and games.

"Wow, what's the occasion?" Temari asked as the Silver Fox Clan (SFC) and their summonings looked around at the nine paper lanterns each with a fox with one more tailed than the last, going from one tail to nine tails.

"It's the night of vulpine moon" Li responds looking at the group with his silver eyes gleaming.

"What is a vulpine moon?" Hinata asked curiously looking up at the bright full moon in the sky.

"It's when the moon changes from yellow to red followed by black before finally turning a whitish silver that it said to be the foxes that have perished watching over us."

Hinata could feel tears as she imagined such a beautiful sight as the vulpine moon.

"The vulpine moon shines once every 100 years and is also considered the night a kitsune receives a new tail" Li added as Yipsu and Konona yipped in agreement and excitement. "It is said that the four colors of the moon represents the four strengths of kitsune in the world. The yellow moon represents foxes which have 1 to 8 tails and is seen as good luck by them to earn a new tail. The red moon represents when an 8 tailed fox finally receives its ninth tail and its fur changes to red. The last two colors are the most symbolic for they represent the two most powerful foxes in existence. The black fox, also known as the vixen of darkness was as powerful and equal in strength as the white fox, or the vulpine of light."

"Was, what happened?" Kankuro asked as everybody was caught up in the story.

"She departed from this world when she was hunted and killed 12 years ago, but I know she is looking down on us at this very moment" Yohaze said with a sad voice, something odd in her tone as if she was holding something back. Li nodded and continued with his explanation of the phases of the vulpine moon.

"The white fox and the black fox were seen as deities to the other foxes for their amazing power and wisdom. The two foxes then chose some followers, called silver foxes, and were known to settle disputes between different fox clans and keep peace in the fox community. Now there is only Inari left for his wife died in which she passed the power on to her 1st born who was a black fox but she also suffered the same fate…"

The group looked up at the sky while something was bugging Naruto and Hinata's mind. What was with the odd tone in Yohaze's voice and why did it seem like Li left something out at the end of that sentence.

'_Hey, Hinata-chan, how are we supposed to bring back the body of a black fox if she died?'_ Naruto asked mentally remembering vaguely the riddle they found.

'_I don't know Naruto-kun, maybe we have to bring her body back to Inari for rest' _Hearing light splashing behind them, the group turned around to see Inari and Kyuubi, both with a soft smile on their faces, join them outside at the banquet.

"**It seems we're just in time"** Kyuubi says, looking up at the night sky as the moon started changing colors.

"It's so beautiful" Temari said earning a slight nod from everybody as they watched the moon go through its four color phase change.

As the moon turned yellow, the silver fox clan were shocked when they also glowed the same color and heard animal cries from down by their feet. Looking down they watched, astonished, as Yipsu and Konona glow the same color as the moon before their one tail split in half. As they finished glowing, they turned their heads to look at their new tail before yipping happily in the night sky. After a minute, the moon started to darken to a deep red that was viewed as both haunting and gorgeous, like a blood moon. The glow around them, changing from yellow to red with the moon, felt like it was seeping into their skin as they felt a magnificent power overcome them as all their senses were heightened. The summonings stared up at the silver fox clan as their forms changed to that of their hanyo, animalistic sounds coming out of their throats. As the moon started to change, the group looked around as they felt the power fade with the changing color. Everybody then noticed that Naruto, Hinata, Itachi, and Kurai seemed to glow brighter than the rest as the moon went into its third phase. Feeling the power surge again, the group turned their attention to the sky where the moon turned black as the night, where only the outline was barely able to be seen. Hearing somebody gasp the sand siblings, Sasuke, Sai, and the summonings looked at Kurai and Itachi and gasped as well. They were surrounded by black ghost fire that soon engulfed them but instead of burning them, it was absorbed within them. They then watched as Itachi's and Kurai's tails grew thicker before splitting down the middle into two long tails.

"What is going on?" Sasuke muttered out loud as he noticed his brother's new cat tail curling then uncurling behind his back.

"It seems something is happening to Naruto and Hinata as well" Gaara stated, his attention on the two in question, as the others looked. Both were consumed by the dark beam of the moonlight and seemed to be fixated as their gaze never left the moon which was on its final phase. As the moon lightened up so did the aura around Naruto but not Hinata as she continue to glow the strange black light as Naruto began to take on a glow as white as the moon itself. Naruto and Hinata gave out fox like cries as the group watched, mesmerized, as Naruto and Hinata's one tail split not into two but six long beautiful tails as the fur around their ears and tail turned a shade lighter or darker, Naruto's a pale yellow, while Hinata turn a dark indigo. As everybody stared up at the silver moon they drew a breath and called out to the night, making animal sounds that could be heard all the way in Suna. As the moon finally turned back to its off-white color, the group noticed the changes about themselves as they went to the banquet table.

"Inari, why did we change into this and shouldn't we have two tails instead of six?" Hinata asked as she stared at the six tails that know sprouted from her tail bone before looking up at the white fox.

"**You changed because you are no longer human but hanyou kitsune or half-demons of the vulpine. Besides, you're powers are so great that they couldn't be held in the body of a two tails so you change into that of six tails where your powers can safely be placed" **Kyuubi explained, something that sounded a lot like pride in his voice as he looked at Naruto who had Gamakichi, Konona and Yipsu messing with his tails.

"Now that the moon has went through its phases let's enjoy the festival." Yohaze said happily as everybody went over to the table and started eating.

"What we really need is some music which would be perfect right now" Kurai said as she placed a piece of chicken on a plate before placing it in front of Nekata before going over to Itachi.

"Yes, music would be good right now" Inari said as his nine tails glowed and in the corner several silver foxes with instruments appeared and started to play a song. The group started dancing as the song seemed to fit the mood.

"What's the name of the song?" Kankuro asked as he went to grab some more food. "It's called '_Into the Night_' by Carlos Santana feat. Chad Kroeger" Inari said as the silver foxes started to sing:

_Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell_

_It was love from above that could save me from hell…_

Sasuke watched as his brother danced with Kurai and felt a pain at how happy he was with the group. He then thought about what would have happened if Naruto haven't keep his promise and came after him no matter what or if his brother hadn't been brought back.

_She had fire in her soul it was easy to see_

_How the devil himself could be pulled out of me…_

"I guess you don't realize what you had until it's taken away from you" Sasuke muttered as he went over to his brother to ask for a chance to dance with Kurai.

_There were drums in the air as she started to dance_

_Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands_

_And we sang_

_Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay_

_And the voices bang like the angels sing_

_We're singing, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay_

_And we danced on into the night_

_Ay, oh, ay, ay, oh, ay, oh_

_And we danced on into the night_

_Like a piece to the puzzle that falls into place_

_You could tell how we felt from the look on our faces…_

Naruto watched as Hinata danced with Sai and then Gaara, laughing in joy as she danced to the beat of the rhythm.

_We were spinning in circles with the moon in our eyes_

_The room left them moving between you and I…_

"I was really stupid for not realizing how special she was" Naruto said to himself as he looked at Kurai dancing with Itachi and Sasuke while Kyuubi was with Temari with Li and Yohaze laughing and smiling as they all danced their hearts out.

_We forgot where we were and we lost track of time_

_And we sang to the wind as we danced through the night_

"I'm glad it all turned out right in the end" Naruto said as he saw Hinata turn towards him, her eyes shining in the moon-filled night as his heart swelled with love. Enjoying the happiness in the atmosphere, he quickly ran back to Hinata to enjoy the rest of the song with her.

_And we sang_

_Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay_

_And the voices bang like the angels sing_

_We're singing ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay_

_And we danced on into the night_

And that is just what they did. SFC, their summonings, and the foxes danced until the food was gone, the drinks were drunk, and they could barely stand from being so sleepy.

"Come, it's late and everybody have a big day tomorrow" Inari said as the band helped clean up the decorations before disappearing. The group filed into the cave where they slept on Inari's tails like last time, Kyuubi and Li too tired to complain. They quickly fall asleep, dreams of the festival playing through their heads as the faint sound of fox cries around the world wafted through the cave entrance for every fox's new tail. The next morning the group woke up a little before 9, amazingly well-rested after the festival last night. After much yawning, stretching, and apologizes from stepping on people's tails the SFC picked up their belongings to go back to the journey on hand. The foxes joined them outside as the sun started beaming down on them, making the group put on their shades to block the glare.

"Kyuubi, do you mind carrying Naruto and Hinata?" Inari asked as the Sand siblings gently got on his back. Nodding, Kyuubi then flashed a bright red before changing into a miniature nine tail fox about a twentieth of his regular height. Then Itachi and Kurai got on Li's back while Sasuke and Sai got on Yohaze's before they took off into the morning light. This time the foxes didn't slowed down and made it back to Suna within 5 minutes where they landed on the balcony of Gaara's office again. Getting off the foxes, they thanked them for the ride and letting them enjoy the festival as the foxes bowed their heads in thanks. As they turned to leave, Hinata remembered something she had wanted to ask them.

"Wait, Inari, whose fox skull is that above your home?" All three turned to look at Hinata with a sad smile on their faces, but a weird twinkle in their eyes.

"That skull…belongs to my first daughter. Fox skulls are very powerful and need to be protected." Near tears, Hinata asked them what her name was as the group listened closely. "Her name was…Himitsu. She was the Den Lord of Yagiri and she was a funny child. She didn't really like to be pampered as she always wanted to show others that she was strong despite her looks."

Thanking Inari for the information, they wished them good luck and sped off back to their homes as the group said their farewells to the sand siblings.

"Take care, Tama, Bandit, and Kuro" Kurai said mischievously as the group laughed at her new nicknames for Temari and Kankuro. With Sasuke summoning a hawk, the group took to the air as Baki entered the office like last time. As the group headed for the rain village, Naruto noticed that Hinata was deep in thought, her six tails twitching every now and then.

"What's on your mind, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked sitting next to his girlfriend who looked at him with a smile.

"It's weird, but I believe I heard that name before. I think… my father mentioned that name several times."

The Kyuubi, back inside Naruto, remained quiet as he went back to sleep, waiting for the events to unfold that would change their lives forever.

"Thank you for letting me see her" Inari said to the person hiding in the corner of the den when they had returned.

"You're welcome, I mean it's only fair to have the only person to receive your daughter's blessings come visit right."

Agreeing, Inari and the rest piled together in front of the fire and lay back down before going to sleep.

'_Soon, they will learn the truth as everything is finally falling into place' _the person said before picking up her packages and disappearing.


	11. I'm awake, I'm alive, no longer dead

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Chapter 9- _"I'm awake, I'm alive, I no longer dead inside"_

"Thanks for brushing my tails, Naruto-kun" Hinata said putting the brush back in her bag as they neared the hidden rain village. It was a long trip between Suna and Ame for they had switched several times between flying on the hawk and riding on the back of summonings. Finally, the group saw the metal structures of Amegakure and decided to land as to avoid getting in trouble. As soon as they landed, their animal instincts told them to stay alert as something didn't feel right when they touched the ground.

"Where are all the guards?" Naruto asked looking around as if they were about to be ambushed.

"Stay on alert" Itachi said, seriousness heard in his voice as he quickly made his way to the gates of the rain village with the others right behind. As they approached the entrance, they were expecting someone to be there to stop them and ask their business but once again no one was around, not even sounds from inside the village. This just made them even more curious and suspicious as they cautiously went into the rainy land.

"Okay, something BIG is definitely going on" Kurai stated as she and Hinata used byakugan but couldn't find a living soul around.

"I think we should send someone to survey the area and see if they can find anything" Sai suggested which everybody agreed was a good idea.

"We need to stay under the radar though because whatever has made everybody go to hiding has to be very powerful or very intimidating."

Agreeing, Sai said that he would make hawks using the blue ink so they could blend in and stay alive long enough to report back.

"What if something big is happening and somebody needs help and by the time the hawks come back it could be too late…" Naruto said worried about Konan and anybody else who were in trouble and that he couldn't do something about. As the group pondered on what to do, Hinata and Kurai looked at each and smiled.

"Sai, quick make two water hawks" they said before pulling out a kunai and cutting the tip of their index finger. Wondering what they had planned Sai quickly dipped his brush in the blue ink and was about to draw when Hinata and Kurai grabbed the brush, let a drop of their blood hit the paint before handing it back to Sai. Confused, he drew two realistic hawks with the ink-blood mixture and summoned them off the bag.

"Think of it like Bandit's third eye jutsu" Kurai said as she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and seemed to be concentrating along with Hinata as the two hawks flew high in the sky. "Byakugan" both kunoichi muttered softly as they activated their blood-line trait before looking at the group, a grin growing on their faces as they nodded. "Yes it was a success, now we can see out of the ink bird's eyes and tell you what is happening ahead" they said as the group started to run over the water chasing after the birds.

"Now that gives a new meaning to a bird's eye view" Naruto joked lamely making Sasuke and Itachi groan while Hinata and Kurai giggled. The birds flew all around the village, took in the sites, and looked for the cause of the rain village's mysterious nature as the group followed quickly on the orders of Hinata and Kurai. Going towards the largest building in the village, Hinata's hawk spotted something that made the group below stop and take shelter as they neared the tower.

"Okay, I see the one called Konan and a cloaked figured who…I believe is wearing an orange swirly mask…" Kurai told the group making the boys curse as they knew who was behind the mask.

"Sai, bring the hawks back now before they're spotted" Sasuke said quietly as he wore a grim look on his face along with Naruto and Itachi.

"Who is that guy?" Sai asked as he turned the hawks back into ink which was soon washed away along with the blood.

"That weird masked guy is known as Tobi-" Naruto said but was soon interrupted by Sasuke and Itachi who had more to add.

"That is but a fake name for he is better known as-"

"Madara" Itachi finished with a slight growl.

"What is Lollipop doing here then?" Kurai said making the group smile at her nickname referring to Madara's mask.

"I don't know but I think we better get closer so we can figure out what he wants and try to prevent him from getting it."

They all began to fuel chakra, after teaching Sai how to thin his out, and turned invisible to sneak their way closer to the tower and scene in front consisting of Madara and Konan having some kind of show down.

"What's Konan doing talking with that idiot" Naruto said angrily as the team, using their acute hearing, listened in on the conversation between the origami angel and the masked Uchiha. The group was surprised when they heard the origins of Nagato as they looked at Naruto who also held a look of surprise. "Nagato…was from the hidden whirlpool village too…I never knew…" Naruto felt sad that a member of his mother's birth home was dead as he knew there was a few left hiding in the world. They continued listening as they learned that Konan was still protecting her team-mate's bodies as to stop Madara from getting his hands on Nagato's eyes. "Grr, we got to help Konan please" Naruto begged, looking at the group who nodded in agreement.

"But how…I know for a fact that although Konan is strong, she is still no match for Madara" Itachi stated looking at the two in question as they wrapped up their conversation.

"Yea but if he gets the rinnegan then not even the Kages will be a match for him" Sasuke said as he knew that Madara was even more power hungry than he was.

"The only thing we can do is hide Nagato's body and set up a replacement so he can't get the eyes" Hinata said as the group agreed but one thing still bugged Naruto.

"What about Konan? We can't just leave her to die…I won't allow it."

Hearing sounds, the group turned back to the scene where Konan was currently battling Madara who was plotting on getting the eyes no matter what. "She is going to get herself killed" Naruto whimpered, tears in his eyes as he felt like he was losing another friend. Feeling his pain, Hinata made a decision and shared it with the group.

"I will possess her and stall for time while you go and make the switches on the bodies. I will try and keep her safe too."

As predicted, Naruto was about to argue saying she could be hurt mentally doing that but was reminded that they didn't have a lot of time left. Looking back at the fight Naruto nodded and gave Hinata a soul-searing kiss before telling her to be careful. Everybody got ready to sneak into the tower as they watched as Hinata activated her byakugan, focus on Konan, make the fox hand sign, and mutter softly _"Demon style: Human Possession"_ before Hinata's spirit left her body on a one way course to Konan. As Hinata's spirit reached Konan's body she quickly left a part of essence of her mind, effectively controlling Konan as she dashed back over to her body. Gasping as she came to she nodded to the group to let them know she was okay.

"It worked, now go for I won't be able to control her long" Hinata said as she started to link her mind with Konan and control her body. Hinata watched as the group made their way towards the tower as Konan, taken over by Hinata, turned the battle to where Madara's back was to the tower as the SFC hurried inside. The longer Hinata was controlling Konan the faster her chakra drained so she physically and mentally prepared herself to fight one of the strongest opponents she has ever faced so far.

'_It's now or never'_ she thought before she went back to attacking Madara and stalling for as much time as possible. The rest of the members of the silver fox clan were currently making their way up to the top of the tower where they were sure they would find what they were looking for.

'_Please be safe Hinata-chan'_ Naruto thought he and the rest of the group pushed chakra through their legs to increase their speed towards the top of the tower.

"Don't worry Naruto, Hinata is strong, she will get through this just fine" Kurai said with a smile, which Naruto returned and focused on getting to the top of the tower as fast as he could. Back to the fight, Hinata was quickly running out of chakra and taking some serious damage from Madara's attacks.

"Time to finish this" Hinata said in her own body as she locked onto a special jutsu in Konan's mind and called it forward. "Secret Paper Jutsu" Hinata/Konan called out as she split the water in front of her to reveal one billion explosion tags set to go off at the same time. As soon as the first one went off there was a loud explosion that seemed to shake the foundation of the rain village to its core.

'_Hinata'_ Naruto screamed into his mind as Hinata flew Konan's body back to where she was before losing the possession.

'_I'm okay…Naruto-kun…just…tired'_ she said in between pants as the use of so much chakra was taking a toll on her body. _'It's over.' _

As soon as the explosions went off, the boys and Kurai finally made it to the top of the tower where the site of millions of origami flowers and scenery greeted them.

"Wow, this is amazing…I suggest hiring her for your wedding Naruto" Kurai teased as they made their way over to the two bodies laid amongst a pile of paper flowers. Naruto smiled sadly as he noticed the small smile on Nagato's face as if he died happily knowing all was right.

"Let's hurry for Hinata is very tired" Naruto said as he and Itachi carefully picked up Nagato's body and took it over to one of the hawks Sai just drew. After they carefully placed the body on the hawk, Itachi and Kurai summoned a large bake-neko that followed Sasuke, Sai, and the hawk to the ground where they went to find a safe place to hide the body. Looking at the empty space where the body was, Naruto quickly made some shadow clones that laid in the spot where Nagato's and Yahiko's body, now being placed on the second hawk by Itachi and Kurai, were laid before. Coming back, Kurai picked up a single gray strand of hair and placed it on one of the clones while she quickly went over to the other body, plucked an orange hair off, and placed it on the second clone.

"Naruto I need some of your blood" Kurai stated quickly as they watched Sai return back on the hawk. Nodding and a warning from Kyuubi saying not to channel his chakra, Naruto cut open his palm and let the blood drip over the hair and Naruto clone. "It's should work best since the both of you are Uzumaki" Kurai said as she started to make some unusual hand signs before ending in a sign she called the "cat" sign and said, _"Demon style: Corpse Absorption Switch."_ Right in front of their eyes, the group watched as the clone henge into a Nagato look alike that was very much dead. Quickly doing the other clone, with Sai's blood this time, they jumped on the hawks when Naruto got a bad feeling, a feeling that told him something big was about to go down.

'_KYUUBI'_ Naruto yelled in his mind as he felt that Hinata was in serious danger and that he wouldn't make it in time.

"**On my way" **Kyuubi said and Naruto felt the necklace glow bright red as the Kyuubi quickly sent his soul through the necklace to Hinata.

"Hinata's in trouble, we got to go NOW!" Naruto all but yelled as he jumped onto the back of Sai's hawk as Itachi and Kurai took the bird with the body down just as things were about to go south with Hinata. Hinata withdrew all her control over Konan who blinked and looked at her surroundings before she noticed Hinata taking deep breaths. She wore a look of confusion as she noticed the ears and tails on Hinata and wondered how she got there.

"Team-mates safe…Madara dead" Hinata manage to say in between pants as all she wanted to do was lay there and rest. Konan's eyes grew even wider as she processed what Hinata had told her. "Find Naruto…have bodies" and then Hinata finally caught her breathe as the chakra started to flow back through her. Konan, still in shock, nodded and flew off towards the sky where she spotted two hawks landing in an abandoned building. As Hinata was looking around, she suddenly got a bad feeling as her instincts told her something was not right. Sighing, she quickly henge to look like Konan and made her way to where to the split in the earth.

'_Something isn't right' _she thought as her instincts kept telling her to watch out, but for what she didn't know. That's when she sensed somebody behind her and before she could so much as utter a curse she would never use, Madara had snuck up behind her and was telling her about his past life. _'Why does the bad guy always got to go into a monologue about their life or something I don't really care about?'_ Hinata thought sulkily as Madara continued to talk while Hinata tried to find a way out his iron grip.

"_**Vixen**_**"** was heard in the lavender fox's head as Hinata knew that Madara was about to use his sharingan to finish her off.

'_Help me please' _Hinata cried, tears running down her face as she felt that it was the end. Just then Kyuubi's voice range clear in her head as he started to name spells.

"_**Demon style: Time-Illusion**_**" **and time around them seemed to slow down at a marvelous rate then Hinata felt her spirit being pushed to the back of her mind as Kyuubi took over her body. Then the nine tails, using Hinata's body, made a single hand sign and created a shadow clone right next to them. The clone was then fueled with chakra for it to last longer as Kyuubi used a substitution jutsu to switch places with the clone. Making some final hand signs, ending with the fox sign, Kyuubi called out **"**_**Demon style: Fox-Fire Flight**_**" **where in a blink of an eye he was gone just as time as sped up. And just like that the battle ended with Madara ending the life of the shadow clone and going to retrieve the eyes while the SFC were hiding in a nearby building watching the show unfold as they notice Madara enter and exit the tower before they felt they were safe. Kyuubi was in the middle of the group just as he left Hinata's body back for his body in Naruto. As soon as Hinata came too, the stress from having the Kyuubi inside her, using multiple jutsus one after another, and then "teleporting" her way to Naruto was too much and she passed out. The last thing Hinata heard before succumbing to the darkness was the sound of Naruto calling her name.

_*time skip*_

Moaning from the pain in her head, Hinata slowly opened her eyes to notice a brown wooden ceiling that she didn't recognize.

'_Where am I?'_ Hinata thought as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room and all the events of what happened came flooding back. Gasping as she remembered the battle with Madara she tried to sit up and look around the gang but couldn't from the pain all over her body. Groaning from the pain that could be felt in every joint, she suddenly felt several people around her as she opened her eyes to see Kurai, who was smiling at her.

"Please don't try to move just yet, your body has some serious strain and you shouldn't move too much" she stated as she gently placed a hand on Hinata pushing her back down.

"Where are we?" Hinata asked as she tried to gather her surroundings but couldn't in her line of view.

"In a safe place" a voice to her right said just out of range of her vision as she sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Kurai, giggling, said all right and helped Hinata into a sitting position as she quickly scanned the room.

"Where is…" Hinata asked as she looked around the room but didn't notice anybody else in the room but her and Kurai.

"Oh, Naruto and the rest are-" before Kurai could finish her sentence there was the sound of shuffling feet and a loud cry of "Hinata" from Naruto as he and the rest of the boys entered the room with Konan following behind them.

"Naruto-kun" Hinata said softly as she noticed the look of worry and relief etched on Naruto's face as he moved by her side. With a weak smile and close to tears, he hugged Hinata like she was about to disappear from his arms.

"I'm so glad you safe and alive…you could have been killed." Hinata also had tears in her eyes as she said "sorry" and lightly hug Naruto back for she was still very weak. Sighing, Naruto let go and look at her before he said "I just glad you're okay" as the rest of the group crowded around the bed.

"Yes, thank you Naruto-kun and you too Kyuubi for saving me" as she tried to get into a more comfortable position. Naruto fluffing her pillows, Hinata took in her surroundings and noticed Konan a little distance away playing with a cat by rolling a small bell around.

'_Why does that cat…look so familiar?'_ Hinata thought which caused Kurai to look and soon everybody followed their gaze. Seeing as how the group had grown quiet and was watching them, Konan and the cat stopped playing around and made their way towards the bed. Konan grabbed a tea set on a nearby side table and handed Hinata the tea saying that it will help with her sore body. As Hinata drank some of the warm liquid and placed the cup down, the cat had jumped onto the bed and sat in her lap, watching with its large unusual yellow eyes.

"Wait…those eyes…the fur…the goggles…" Hinata eyes grew wide as she looked at the cat which tilted its head, opened its mouth, and said one word.

"Hi" the cat from their dreams said as she smiled looking up at the group with familiar face expressions.

"Um…hi?" Hinata said awkwardly as everybody stared down at the too happy cat which was tilting her head side to side as to some invisible music.

"What a second…you're the cat from our dreams" Naruto said loudly making the group stare at the cat even harder as they noticed some of the features that match the dream cat.

"Really, I've seen this cat around Konoha a lot" Sai said as he remembered the times he saw the cat in a tree or casually strolling the streets of Konoha.

"Yep, I'm that cat" said cat said still smiling, making sweat form on the back of everybody's head at the feline's too happy expression until Hinata took a closer look at the cat's eyes.

"Wait…your eyes. You have the same eyes as JT. Do you know JT? Are you JT's cat?" Hinata asked excitedly as she picked up the cat and held it up to her face as the group looked at her questionably.

"Who's JT?" Naruto asked as he looked between the cat and Hinata, a confused expression on his face. Before Hinata could answer she saw the cat's eyes glow as it smiled and jumped out of her hands. Landing on the bed she ran to the end, jumped down and said from below,

"I'm not JT's cat. I _am_ JT" and with that the cat started to shift and shape into the girl Hinata saw that night in the clearing. The others watched in fascination and confusion as they watched JT turn from a cat into a girl before looking at Hinata.

"Who in the world is JT?" Naruto asked again even more confused as he noticed how Hinata, Kurai, and Itachi were staring at the girl.

"You're the girl from that night in the clearing…" Itachi said as he looked at JT who just nodded and looked around as if searching for somebody. Everybody heard a growl as Naruto went to strike JT who jumped out the way.

"You're the cause of all this. What have you done to Hinata-chan? Why did you do it?" Naruto said his iris's slit as the anger was taking over him.

"Oh, I made her better" JT said smiling as she went back to looking at Hinata and Kurai.

"You did WHAT? She was fine the way she was. You will PAY for what you've done!" Naruto screamed at JT, wielding a Rasengan in his hand before he was stopped by Konan and Itachi. "Calm down Naruto" Konan said as she and Itachi quickly grabbed the angry blonde who growled at JT. JT just started humming the chorus of "_Headstrong_" by Trapt which seemed to make Naruto even angrier as he struggled harder to escape Itachi's and Konan's grip.

_Back off I'll take you on_

_Headstrong to take on anyone_

_I know that you are wrong_

_Headstrong we're headstrong_

_Back off I'll take on_

_Headstrong to take on anyone_

_I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong_

Naruto broke free and tried to hit JT with the Rasengan but found out he couldn't.

"Wha-what is this?" Naruto said as he was lifted in the air unable to move. Before JT could answer a voice, that sounded irritated, said from across the room that all will be explained shortly. The group turned towards the sound of the voice and noticed a figure standing in the doorway looking at JT.

"Put him down before I tell Hyou you've been using your psychic abilities for fun again."

Frowning and sticking her tongue out at that figure (yea I know real mature) she slowly placed Naruto on the ground and kept him there until he dispelled the Rasengan in which he looked at the door with a confused look.

"Kakashi-sensei, is that you?" Naruto asked as he saw the forehead protector tilted slightly but he quickly figured out it wasn't as he saw the eye turned toward him, which was green, and JT laughing as she said "I told you look like him" to the stranger who let out a growl-like sound.

"My name is Maakasu-" the stranger said before being interrupted by JT with "or Maru for short" earning her a glare from the white-haired shinobi. Sighing, he made his way into the room and stood next to JT as the group took in what they saw. JT had changed out of the silver and blue kimono and was now wearing casual clothing that looked like she was going on a mission. JT was wearing blue pants with a pocket on the left side that stopped at the calf, flat open toed shoes complete with a gray short sleeve t-shirt with a blue stripe down each arm. She accompanied the attire with blue fingerless gloves, blue striped leggings with a green Konoha vest and a yellow forehead protector matching her eyes on her left bicep. The symbol on the protector was that of a crescent moon. When the group looked at Maru, they only saw a Kakashi replica due to his forehead protector covering his right eye. He was wearing black pants that came down to his calf with double loops below his thigh and calf. Red shoes that went up to his ankle with his toes exposed. He wore a light green sleeve t-shirt with a black stripe down each arm under a red Konoha vest. He accompanied the look with long red fingerless gloves with a metal plate and a black coat with a light green stripe down the front which he placed on a nearby chair. His protector was black and also sprouted the same symbol of a crescent moon as JT. The group could barely make out a face marking because it was hidden by his protector and long white hair. The group then looked closely at Maru who wore a slight frown as he stared at the group.

"Wait a minute you look familiar…" Naruto said forgetting about JT and looking at Maru.

"You're the cat aren't you…?" Itachi said as Maru nodded while Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai were still confused.

"The cat from the desert, yes" Maru said as Naruto finally figured out what they were talking about when everybody heard the edge in his voice and JT's snicker. As he let out a breath, it blew his hair out of the way enough for Hinata to recognize the upside down triangle that was the marking of the Inuzuka clan.

"You have the same markings as Kiba…except his is red" Hinata said absent-minded as she noticed the triangles were green that matched his eyes. Those words made Maru stop glaring at JT and stare at Hinata, a slight gleam in his eye.

"You mean to tell me there is an Inuzuka clan around here? I been so close to them all this time?" he asked as he looked around the room as if they would appear in front of him.

"One of my team-mates is from the clan" Hinata said hesitating as she noticed Maru's behavior.

"Really, let's go to Konoha then, oh I can't wait to meet him" Maru said excitedly which Hinata misinterpreted that he wanted to harm her team-mate.

"You can't meet them you dolt or did you forget Hyou's warning?" JT snorted as Maru glared at her before both turned toward Hinata who growled.

"Don't you dare try and harm any of my friends" Hinata said angry, her fox ear twitching a bit as she snarled at Maru who looked up in surprise.

"Harm him…I would never do that to any of my ancestors" Maru said quickly before his eye got big and he covered his mouth.

"What do you mean-" Hinata asked but she was cut off by JT who said, "We'll explain later." JT then moved from her spot next to Maru and over by the bed, her still too big happy smile shining on her face.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asked as she noticed that Hinata's tea cup was empty. Surprisingly, she did feel better and was strong enough to get out of the bed.

"Now explain to us what is going on around here?" Naruto said slightly agitated because they weren't getting any answers that they wanted.

"Okay, we'll explain you see…" After about an hour of explaining what they were, how they got there, and a whole bunch of other nonsense I'm not going to bore you with, the group stared at them as if they lost their natural minds.

"So what you're telling us it that you two…are creatures from a different dimension. Your dimension got destroyed because some bad man tried to take it over and you're in this world because said bad man is now trying to control our world while you two are trying to find a home, am I correct?" Sasuke asked, trying to figure out what mental problems JT and Maru had and if they should leave before they got caught up with these people.

"Yep, that's correct…isn't it cool?" JT said as Maru sighed and looked at the non-believing group.

"I know it sounds really hard to believe but look at it this way…would you believe about a month ago all the things that has happened to you up till now?" The group stayed quiet as they realized he had a point as they looked around at Itachi, Kurai, and Sasuke.

"Okay we believe you, as strange as it sounds, we believe you. Now why did you send us the dreams?" Kurai asked looking at the odd pair who was staring at them, JT with her happy expression and Maru with a slight frown.

"Well the dreams were to send you in the right direction as to set you off on your adventure. We made your adventure easier when we possessed Tsunade and Kakashi so you could go on your mission. Oh by the way how were your missions and did you like that we help you get them. Also did you have fun on your adventures like the desert and off to iron country. I tried to get Maru to tell me how it was in the desert but he was angry with me so he kept quiet. Also did you have fun coming to rain village and battling like Konan? JT asked randomly as the group slowly backed away, trying to figure out if they should answer or not.

"Uh…" is all they said until they heard Maru sigh and told them to ignore JT.

"She gets distracted very easily and can never stay on one topic" Maru said as he was currently having a glaring contest with JT.

"But please do tell us about how your adventure went because I'm curious as to how you got here with animal parts…with Itachi who I thought was dead… and his brother with Madara" Konan asked as she finally noticed all who was in front of her. Pouring herself and everybody some tea the group began their long speech on all the events that had taken place. When they had got to the part about Inari, Hinata stopped as she remembered something that Yokaze had given her and told her what to do.

"Um, where is my backpack?" she asked looking around until Naruto went and retrieved it from the corner and gave it to her. Opening it up, she pulled out the small gift given to her by Yohaze and looked at JT. "Here you go, it's a gift for you given to me by-" before she could finish her sentence, JT grabbed the package saying "yay, I love presents" to open it and find…

"My bell, I thought it was lost forever!" she said loudly as she went into a chant of "my bell, my bell, my bell" as more sweat drops formed while Maru sighed and said thank you for JT.

"See what I mean" as he waved his hand towards JT who had transformed back into her cat form where Konan placed the bell back onto her collar. "Please continue with your story for that should be the end of all the distractions" Maru said and let them finished telling of their adventure.

"Wow what a trip" Konan said as she looked at the group who nodded in agreement.

"Konan, exactly where are we?" Itachi asked looking around at the wooden walls of some kind of cabin while Hinata stood and stretched her legs that had gone numb.

"We're in an old hiding place known by me, Nagato, Yahiko…and Jiraiya" Konan said, a catch in her voice when she said Jiraiya's name.

'_Why did she have that pause before saying Jiraiya's name? Is she worried about hurting Naruto?'_ they thought as they looked at Naruto who was brushing Hinata's hair.

"So is your adventure over now that you found JT who will explain why Kurai is split from you Hinata?" Konan asked as she looked at the cat that was still chanting and added a weird little dance with it that had Maru snorting in laughter.

"Well, we still have to find the star-ball since it's supposed to help with our adventure some kind of way."

When Naruto mentioned the word star-ball, JT's ear twitched and she looked up from playing with her collar.

"You guys are looking for the kitsune star-ball?" JT asked, finally tuning back in to the conversation.

"You mean they really exist?" Maru asked curiosity heard as he looked at JT who nodded. Maru then narrowed his eye and asked how she knew that.

"Oh, I seen one in the tomb of the _'sage of the 6 paths'_" she said calmly before going back to play with the bell. There was about a 10 second pause before everybody in the room screamed out.

"What-Where-When-How" everybody started asking at the same time until Maru, being the loudest, yelled "Why did you go into the tomb of the sage of the 6 paths?" Everybody quieted down as they saw the anger emitting from Maru as JT seemed oblivious to it.

"You know very well it's forbidden to enter without permission. Do you know the strings Hyou had to pull just to have us go see it?" JT looked up at Maru with sad, teary eyes.

"My bell fell off my collar and rolled into a hole in the wall-"

"YOU STILL NEED PERMISSION!" Maru yelled even louder, making everybody flinch due to their sensitive hearing.

"But I got permission from Hyouuu" JT whined, teary eyed, making the group feel sorry for her.

"Oh stop yelling at her Maru, she said she got permission so there" Konan said as she stared at the white haired shinobi who just sighed and told JT to continue.

"She told me to grab my bell and hurry back-"

"Hardly believe you to hurry back" Maru muttered but was ignored. The SFC gave each other a quick glance before turning back to the two friends.

'_Odd pair these two are' _was what's going through their minds until they heard a loud yelp. Turning quickly they noticed that Maru was holding his hip while JT had an evil smile on her face. Maru growled, eye dilated as he bared his teeth and transformed right into a cat before their eyes. Maru kept on growling while JT looked at him with wide eyes.

"…snicker" JT began to laugh loud and hard as she rolled around clutching her stomach, which looked funny in her cat form as Maru stopped growling and stared at her like she lost her mind. "You look so funny growling like a dog, but in the body of a cat" JT said tears rolling down her face as she tried to catch her breath. Maru's visible eye twitched as he transformed back into his human form and left the room. Konan suddenly spoke up as she knew how Maru felt about JT's teasing.

"JT please stop teasing Maru and finish the story" Konan said as Maru came back into the room.

"Ok, where was I…oh yea. Well I changed into my cat form and squeezed through the hole to find my bell. I found it by this weird statue and that's when I realized that I was in a separate cave. When I looked around there was a scroll hanging above the statue's head that said the _'tomb of the sage of the 6 paths'_ and on the wall was a picture of the sage with the 9 biju below him and the 10 tailed beast above. I also noticed a nine-tailed statue next to him with a star-ball in its mouth and it looked like so realistic. Oh and there was this weird picture on the wall in front of the statue that looked a lot like Naruto and Hinata in their hanyo forms except their fur and tails were different for some strange reason."

The group was quiet as they processed what JT had told them while she went back to her bell.

"So what is so important about the star ball?" Sasuke asked not knowing why everybody was making a fuss over it.

"Well a kitsune star ball, with a fox's blessing, can bring anybody back to life-"

'_we already know that from Inari'_

"or let somebody live outside the body like if the soul was split like Kurai and Hinata".

Everybody blinked on that last comment before exchanging a look.

"…" the group was in shock after hearing that for Inari never mentioned anything like that.

"…you mean Kurai-chan…can have her own life if we find a kitsune star-ball that's been blessed?" Itachi asked making Sasuke look at his brother an eyebrow arched.

"Yes, that's how she brought back Itachi and the others" JT blabbed out before Maru slapped his hand over her mouth. However, it was too late as everybody in the group beside Hinata and Kurai, who were talking over each other, tried to find out what JT meant. Hinata and Kurai were both thinking about what JT said about the split soul being able to live.

'_I wonder where we find the star-ball we're looking for?'_ Hinata opened her bag and pulled out the third scroll from the fox backpack.

_The powers within you, will soon be unlocked,_

_Now the real challenge begins, as you chase the clock._

_You must accept the star ball, the soul of your kind,_

_You must hurry, for you're running out of time._

_To find the star ball, you must face the sun,_

_And prove to them, the battle you won._

_Bring back the body of a black fox, and he will see,_

_You are ready for the secret hidden in the tree._

_The fox whose fur is as black as the night,_

_With bright pale eyes that seek the light._

_The black and white fox, looking for their mate,_

_Will soon join together as seen as their fate._

_This is the final riddle, time for me to go,_

_Take care of each other, Hinata and Naruto._

"This is what the riddle meant. We must find the kitsune star ball to save Kurai since I'm a kitsune hanyo so I'm technically a fox and that explains when it says the soul of your kind" The group finally stopped pestering Maru and JT and went over to Hinata who was reading the scroll. JT jumped back onto the bed and sat in Hinata's lap to look at the scroll.

"Hey, I recognize that handwriting…" Maru raised a brow as he made his way over to the bed before he took a peek at the scroll before he rolled his eye, shaking his head slightly at JT's comment.

"You should, it's your handwriting" Maru sighed as he took a quick glance at the scroll before moving away.

"Nani, you wrote this?" Naruto asked as he looked at JT who shook her head.

"Yes…and no."

The group frowned at the odd answer.

"What do you mean yes and no?" Sasuke asked as he and the rest felt something was about to happen as the air around them grew thicker.

"I didn't write this, Hyou did but-"

Just then Naruto who was way beyond confused screamed out, "who is Hyou and how does she know the use of the star-ball?"

Just then there was a loud poof and a cloud of smoke as a group of people suddenly appeared in the room.

"Because-" a voice said as an unknown female appeared from the smoke.

"I used them-"

Hyou said smiling.

"To bring back-"

Shin, Sai's "brother" said beside Hyou along with a lot of familiar faces.

"Some old-"

Granny Chiyo laughed.

"And young-" Sasori smirked.

"Faces-" the 3rd Hokage smiled.

"Back-" Asuma said chewing on a pocky stick.

"To life, un" Deidara stuck all three of his tongues out.

The last person came out with his perverted grin and laugh. "Hey Naruto, long time no see" Jiraiya, the legendary toad sage said as he looked at the group's shocked faces.


	12. We Are One

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Chapter Ten

?: (rumbling sound, group running from distance)

Me: *wearing ear plugs* Here it comes…

SFC: WTF (all speaking at same time)

Me: *yelling* Keep reading and you will see

Naruto: Is this…a joke?

Me: Nope, it's real so enjoy *disappear*

SFC: … (too shocked to do anything, finally disappear)

"…" is all that is heard in the room as everybody, in shock, looked at the newcomers who just appeared in the room. JT was the first one to break the awkward silence hanging around them.

"HYOUUUU" JT said happily as she chibi-jumped off the bed and into Hyou's arms. "So whatcha' you bring me?" JT asked as Hyou sat her back down on the bed. The SFC just stared at the group behind them as Kurai took in what Hyou looked like. Hyou was wearing gray pants similar to Maru except she had a weapon's cast attached to her left leg. She also wore dark blue flat open toed shoes and a simple sky blue t-shirt worn under a dark blue zipper jacket accompanied with yellow rings around her wrist. They arched an eyebrow as they noticed some similarities between Hyou and JT like the yellow forehead protector around her arm and the same unusual eyes. Hyou shook her head lightly smiling at the cat.

"Is that the only reason you greet me like you do every time I visit?"

"Partly" the cat answered truthfully as she looked all around Hyou. "So what you bring me?" Sighing, she pulled out a scroll and unsealed a stack of…manga.

"Woohoo, the next series is here Konan. Come on" the cat cried, turning human as JT, Konan, and surprisingly Kurai swiftly made their way to a corner, giggling, while the SFC snapped out of their gaze. Naruto was the first one to speak out of the group as he stood and walked to the white-haired pervert.

"I thought you were dead ero-sennin?" Naruto said jokingly but with a sharp gaze on the man to see his reaction.

"Stop calling me that" Jiraiya said glaring at his now crying god-son who ran up and hugged him.

"I can't believe it's really you" Naruto said into his former sensei's shirt.

"Shin…is that you?" Sai said eyes widening at his friend and "brother" standing in front of him.

"Yes, Sai, it's me" Shin said giving Sai one of his fake smiles that strangely looked genuine. Both boys just stared at each other before bursting into tears hugging.

"I can't believe you're alive" Sai said as he looked at his friend a real smile etched on his face. Hinata and Sasuke gasped as they saw Asuma, Granny Chiyo, and the Third Hokage standing in front of them.

"Asuma-sensei and Hokage-sama, are you really alive?" they asked as they looked at father and son standing next to each other.

"Yes, it's us…a lot has happen since our departure but we are indeed back. "No way I'm playing dead again, honey" Granny Chiyo laughed as she stood next to Hyou. Itachi, Sasori, and Deidara just stood looking at each other.

"So where's money-hungry and sir cuss-a-lot?" Itachi asked before scrunching up his face making Deidara laugh out loud.

"You've changed Itachi…a lot" Sasori said as he noticed the smile on Itachi's face who just nodded.

"I'll say, what's with the new nicknames for Hidan and Kakuzu anyway, un?" Deidara asked as Itachi face-palmed and waved a hand at Kurai who was laughing as she heard Itachi's response.

"Kurai's rubbing off on me, I swear" Itachi muttered as he looked at the two former Akatuski partners.

"Hidan is still alive and Kakuzu was being a pain talking about bounties so Hyou left him somewhere else" Sasori said expressionless as he and Deidara looked around.

"Where is Kisame at?" Itachi asked when he noticed his former partner wasn't around.

"Putting some plan in motion according to Hyou, un" Deidara told him as he began to ask what his brother was doing with them.

"It's a long story" Itachi said and left it at that as he went back over to the group with Sasori and Deidara following him.

"How are you alive, pervy sage?" Naruto asked as he stepped back from Jiraiya who was frowning at his now soggy shirt.

"Stop calling me that and it's thanks to Hyou that all of us are alive" the toad sage said as he waved his hand at the group next to Hyou. Jiraiya then got a huge perverted grin on his face when he looked at Naruto. "I also seen what you did with the Tsunade shadow clone prank. I gave it a hundred out of ten." Naruto looked up in surprise.

"You were there?" he said as Itachi muttered something along the lines of "that prank going to haunt me for rest of my life." Unfortunate for him, Deidara heard and started pestering him about what he meant. Hinata was answering Asuma's questions about how Kurenai was doing while Sai was talking with the Third Hokage about all that has taken place. Sasuke was the only one who wanted answers as he yelled out, "WAIT A MINUTE, can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?" The room grew quiet at Sasuke's outburst before everybody moved back to the groups they were with.

"I'm sorry I guess I should explain and introduce myself. I'm Yukan Hyou but Hyou is fine" Hyou said to the group in front of her.

"Long story short, since JT and Maru most likely told you where they were from; I'm a unique creature that has the ability to warp through different dimensions on the orders of the higher ups as missions. I'm formally known as a chimera for my ability to change into multiple animals, mostly large cats but I have some dragon and hawk blood running through me. I was the one who brought you back to life Itachi for I alone have had the blessing of Inari and other deities to do that at the cost of some of my life. Now to explain Maru and JT, they are from the same dimension as me but our home was destroyed. Although I usually travel a lot and didn't really visit my home much I couldn't leave them there so I brought them here."

The SFC looked at the others who nodded saying that they have traveled to a different dimension before and was brought back.

"Okay, so how were you able to bring Maru and JT if your dimension was destroyed" Naruto asked trying to figure out if they were lying or not.

"A lot of the people had already been killed or fled but Maru and JT were too young to understand how to time-warp. Besides I couldn't leave part of me behind to die a horrible death or my friend. And before you ask, JT is in fact part of me because my soul was split when I was trying a new spell to release the soul in a trapped body. So using a star-ball I had I let her live and gave her the name Josei Tora or JT. Yes, it is possible for her to live without messing the world as long as you have something to replace the soul being split."

The group still extremely confused accepted the answer, as loony as it sounded and looked at JT and Maru.

"So Maru is a chimera too?" Hyou shook her head.

"No, Maru was the son of a good friend of mine before she disappeared along with the rest of her clan. Maru is an Inugami or dog spirit although he was born and raised in a wolf clan when he and his mother were rejected by everybody. Inugami are shunned by others and have a hard time marrying people. They like to act on their own impulses and can sometimes possess humans. It is said if an Inugami possesses a sick human they can cure that sickness or a person of ill health. Their only downside is they tend to behave like dogs in which is why they are shunned."

"That's how I healed you Itachi. Thanks to Hyou I've learned to heal people without having to fully possess you" Maru said calmly as he looked at the shocked Uchiha.

"Guess you are telling the truth then although you didn't really possess me" Itachi said as the rest of the group agreed although still confused.

"So exactly how were you able to bring my brother and everybody else alive?" Sasuke asked doubt still heard in his voice. Hyou just smiled saying that 'actions spoke louder than words' and that she would show them as she looked at the giggling kunoichi in the corner.

"Konan, where are the bodies of Nagato and Yahiko?" Hyou asked lightly making JT and Konan jump, forgetting about everybody in the room and turned around. Getting up as JT sealed away her mangas, she pointed to a separate room saying they are lying on the beds. Thanking her everybody followed Hyou and Konan into the next room where Nagato and Yahiko's bodies were casually lying on the beds as Konan had said. Going over to the bodies, Hyou asked the groups to stay back for it could get dangerous on what she was about to do. Pulling out a scroll she unraveled it and summoned two glass balls as big as a child's fist.

"What are those?" Naruto asked as he heard the Kyuubi yelp in surprise at the two spheres in Hyou's hands.

"These are star balls I have learned to create on my travels. These can't be used on Kurai for she is part of Hinata's split soul and these are not blessed by a fox."

Saying she needed deep concentration, the group went quiet as Hyou placed a single star ball in the hands of Nagato and Yahiko above their chakra network. Taking a deep breathe to focus, she pulled out two glass jars full of a black gaseous substance that seemed to be looking at them.

"Spirits" JT whispered to the group before going quiet and watched Hyou make the 12 hand signs of the zodiac.

"Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, bird, dog, boar" Hyou muttered lowly, her eyes closed as she made each sign. Opening her eyes she said in voice full of power, "I give up these 2 spirits in exchange for the spirits of Nagato and Yahiko."

Hyou placed her hands over the star balls and said "_Deity style: Soul ball exchange" _as the two star balls started glowing. The two spirits in the jars became to scream and shriek as they slowly disappeared. Once the spirits had fully disappeared, the star balls glowed white along with both bodies before the star balls began to disappear into the bodies. Nagato's hair turned back to its original red color as he seemed to turn young again. Curious as to what was happening, Hinata activated her byakugan and watch the star ball venture down. Hinata noticed a small symbol, like a water droplet, of chakra in the center of the chakra network. Hinata watched as the star ball hit the ball of chakra before absorbing the chakra and shooting it throughout the body along the chakra points. There was a bright glow that surprised Hinata and made her deactivate her byakugan and gasp as the group noticed she saw what had happened. Asking what she saw, she quickly explained what had happened as Konan gasped making everybody looked back at the bodies. There in front of them Nagato and Yahiko's body twitched and a groan could be heard from them as Hyou sat down on a nearby chair breathing heavily.

"It takes a lot of chakra out of me to resurrect the dead. The longer they have been dead the more chakra it uses to bring them back." Hyou explained as everybody crowded around the beds. The group watched in shock as Nagato opened one eye and blinked.

"Where am I?" they heard the other body say and looked to see Yahiko open his eyes and look around. Konan burst into tears as she went and hugged her two team-mates who looked at her in shock and surprise.

"Konan where are we? Are you dead too?" Nagato asked trying to look around. Still crying, Konan shook her head no and explained to them what had happened when Madara tried to come for his eyes. "Naruto…is here?" Nagato asked trying to sit up and look around while Yahiko just stared at Nagato and Konan shocked to see them still alive. With Konan helping him sit up, Nagato noticed Naruto and Jiraiya standing there waving as Konan moved over to help Yahiko. Shocked he looked around the room as his eyes fell upon Hyou who was chewing on a stick of pocky handed to her by Asuma. "Why?" is all Nagato asked as Hyou, with the help of Asuma stood up and looked at them with a determined look in her eye as she spoke.

"Because I can't fight him alone" she said the pocky still sticking out of her mouth throwing off her I'm bad aura. JT slinked over to Hyou and felt around her pockets until she unearthed a scroll and unsealed a large box of pocky which she began to eat. Chuckling at her split self Hyou looked up at Nagato and the group before speaking, "I need your help."

"Our help with what?" Asuma asked as he tried to take one of JT's pocky before she hissed at him, pouted, then smiled and handed him one after all.

"I need your help…taking down Madara" Hyou said as she saw Itachi and Sasuke hiss at the name making Hyou's group stare at them in confusion.

"You know Madara?" Itachi and Sasuke asked, eyes slit as they watched Hyou nod.

"Better than everybody in this room combined" Hyou replied dryly as she made small growling sounds at the thought of Madara.

"What do you mean?" Nagato asked as he exchanged a look with Konan who shrugged and looked back at Hyou.

"I mean I grew up with Madara" she said making some gasp, some hiss, and some with confused looks.

"You mean-" Nagato started but stopped when he noticed Hyou's nod.

"Yes…Madara is from another dimension" she stated as there was an outcry of "what" and "are you serious" from everybody. "That's not all. He was also…my lover." The room grew quiet as everybody's eyes grew wide.

"Really?" Maru asked for he never heard of Hyou having a lover.

"…no" Hyou said smiling as everybody fell where they were standing a foot twitching the air as JT laughed saying "good one Hyou."

"Hyou-san" Maru sighed as everybody got up and looked at Hyou who was laughing too apologizing saying her joking side decided to wake up.

"But with all seriousness, I do really need your help for you see…" and Hyou began to tell of Madara's childhood that was far from happy. "He loved competition, I mean eat, sleep, and breathe competition. He was very competitive too; taking high-risk gambles his entire life. His twisted mind somehow thought that trying to control the world would be the biggest competition ever and that's what he set out to do…until he was defeated."

Hyou, Maru, and JT each had a sad look on their faces as they remembered what happened when Madara had come close to taking over the world. "After his defeat, he fled our dimension, left to crumble, to find another world to take over. So he time-warped himself here along with his brother and started the Uchiha clan. He tried to make his clan stronger but was defeated by the 1st Hokage of Konoha. After his clan turned on him he fled your dimension where I was chasing him until he disappeared again. Turns out he had returned some time ago to try again, this time looking for the two genius prophesized to be the strongest of the Uchiha clan."

The group looked at Itachi and Sasuke as Hyou munched on a pocky stick taking a quick breather.

"Us" the Uchiha boys said as Hyou nodded looking at them, yellow eyes glowing slightly as she finished her pocky.

"That's right, Madara was the one who almost made the Uchiha clan try and retake Konoha. Danzo, like a fool, fell right into his trap ordering you to kill them making his job a lot easier. Madara knew you couldn't kill your brother and therefore had only had to convince one of you to join his side. When he didn't get Itachi to join his team he thought he was soft and wanted to end him, so he used a special jutsu to invade Itachi's body with a lung disease trying to convince him to change his mind. When Itachi finally died, he was going to try and implant his eyes into himself but I beat him to Itachi's body and already had replaced him with a fake. That's why you weren't able to activate your sharingan back in the cave, Sasuke. Yes, I know about your whole adventure for Inari was keeping tabs on your group as to make sure everything went right" Hyou said staring at JT who gulped and smiled nervously. "But I'm not mad for everything worked out in the end, even better actually since you were able to convince Sasuke to join you instead of keep following Madara. So will you help me?" Hyou asked as a cup of hot tea left the kitchen and made its way toward her. "Psychic abilities" she answered their unvoiced question as she took a sip of green tea.

"Why us?" Hinata asked looking at the group consisting of Naruto, her, Kurai, Itachi, Sai, Sasuke, and the Sand siblings (who aren't there) before turning back to Hyou who smiled.

"I chose you 10 because you all had the greatest impact on people's lives." Hyou looked at each person as she told them of their accomplishments.

"Naruto has had the biggest impact of all of your lives from never giving up on a friend to finally beating some sense into a lot of people. Hinata, instead of giving up, ushered on and made decisions based on risks not only for herself but for her team. Kurai has shown many that it's okay to have fun and laugh every once in a while for we are human…well some of us. Itachi has shown others compassion and understanding to those who act a little smug…like bring up sore topics in front of the wrong kunoichi and get blown back into a wall." Naruto, Hinata, and Kurai snickered at this comment as they knew exactly what Hyou was talking about. (Kisame for those who forgot) Sai has shown that trust and loyalty was a big step in life and that something people have to make hard decisions based on their heart and not their heads. Sasuke, although you believe that you never did anything to leave an impact you're wrong. You in fact left an impact on Naruto's life for you are the first and only person who ever considered a true friend. The Sand siblings have had impacts on the residents of Suna for they have proven that no matter how bad their past was they would live to protect the people of Suna. Shin you also had a huge impact on Sai's life for you taught him to follow his heart and pursue something he was good at instead of becoming an emotionless killing machine."

Shin was shocked when he felt an invisible force push him towards the group alongside Sai who smiled at him for real.

"There is no stronger clan than one made up of friendship" Hyou said as she waved her hands at the group.

"We're not a clan though" Shin said but saw everybody shake their head with a soft smile on their faces. The group thought about the night of the vulpine moon and remembered what they had said.

"You are in fact a clan. You are the shirubafokkusu shizoku or the silver fox clan" Inari said from the door as he, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro entered the room to join the rest of the SFC.

"We're not foxes though" Sai said making Hyou's group look at them with confusion in their eyes.

"You don't have to be a fox to be in this clan" Inari said and Yohaze and Li appeared at his side with something wrapped in their tails. Handing Naruto, Hinata, Kurai, Itachi, Sasuke, Sai, Shin, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro jackets they stepped back as they watched them unfold them. The jackets each were a different color but sprouted the same words and symbol in the back of a 9-tailed silver fox with the words "Silver Fox Clan" stitched on the back. They looked at the jackets before staring at Hyou while Maru and JT started the sing lowly "We are One". Inari went over to Shin and whispered something him in which Shin looked at the group and nodded. Smiling, Inari began to fill him with his power and handed him a new sword set. The group knew that Shin had just accepted Inari's blessing and was now a hanyo for they alone could see the animal parts that were hidden.

"So will the silver fox clan help me bring down Madara?" Hyou asked looking at Hinata and Naruto who looked at everybody in the group. Everybody looked at each other before a smile broke out on everybody's face as they started to put the jackets on.

_As you go through life you'll see_

_There is so much that we_

_Don't understand_

Kankuro: "Of course-"

_And the only thing we know_

_Is things don't always go_

_The way we planned_

Sai: "because of clan-"

_But you'll see every day_

_That we'll never turn away_

_When it seems all your dreams come undone_

Temari: "never backs down-"

_We will stand by your side_

_Filled with hope and filled with pride_

_We are more than we are_

_We are one_

Shin: "from a challenge-"

_If there's so much I must be_

_Can I still just be me_

_The way I am?_

Gaara: "no matter the obstacles-"

_Can I trust in my own heart_

_Or am I just one part_

_Of some big plan?_

Sasuke: "we will fight-"

_Even those who are gone_

_Are with us as we go on_

_Your journey has only begun_

Itachi: "to the very end-"

_Tears of pain, tears of joy_

_One thing nothing can destroy_

_Is our pride, deep inside_

_We are one_

Kurai: "because-"

_We are one, you and I_

_We are like the earth and sky_

_One family under the sun_

Hinata: "that's our way-"

_All the wisdom to lead_

_All the courage that you need_

_You will find when you see_

_We are one_

Naruto: "of the ninja."

As soon as the singing stop, the group animal howled in the air shedding their henge and showing off all their animal features making everybody in the room gasp. Hyou smiled at the group as they stopped howling and looked at her determination shining in all of their eyes.

"Ok everybody let's get ready for some action" Hyou said rallying the group even more as everybody raised their fist to the air.

"Yea" everybody in the room screamed fist held high in the air. As with every great moment, something has to ruin it, in this case the sound of a lot of hungry people's stomachs.

"But first, how about something to eat" Naruto said smiling as the group laughed as they heard their stomachs agree with Naruto and headed out the door.

_*time skip*_

"Where are we?" Hinata asked as they sat down to eat the pile of food that had appeared on the table. Hyou looked up as Naruto grabbed the nearest bowl of ramen and began to slurp it down.

"We're in the hidden base in the hidden valley" she said as Sasuke was arguing with Naruto about his eating habits.

"I'm hungry, teme" Naruto said with a mouth full of ramen while Hinata nibbled on a cinnamon bun.

"It's also the place where the Shukaku was extracted from Gaara" Nagato said as he looked around at one of the Akatuski's old bases. This succeeded in shutting up Naruto and Sasuke who looked at him.

"But I thought the cave was destroyed" Kankuro said as he remembered going back for Sasori's body but it wasn't there.

"It was destroyed but we cleaned it up and made it our temporary living quarters" JT said as she chewed on another pocky stick. Everybody was wolfing down the food as they were very hungry and since half the group now had animal characteristics that ate…a lot.

"So what are we to do now?" Gaara asked as the food started disappearing at a rapid rate.

"Wow you bunch is hungry today" Jiraiya said as he watched everybody grab bowls and plates full of food.

"Well when you have been turned into an animal hanyo your metabolism sky rockets so we're really hungry" Kurai said as she bit into a dango.

"Ah, you must be Kurai then" Jiraiya said as she nodded before saying "and you must be pervy sage…good nickname for him Naruto. I couldn't come up with a better one."

Naruto laughed as he heard Jiraiya growl and told them to stop calling him that.

"To answer your earlier question, Kurai, we need to come up with some kind of strategy to track down Madara."

Sasuke looked up just as Naruto turned to him.

"Before you ask Naruto, I don't know where he took me so don't ask."

"I wasn't going to ask that Sasuke, I was going to ask if Madara said anything about what he was planning next" Naruto said shocking everybody at the brilliant idea.

"Unfortunately no, he kept me in the dark about his plans so I don't truthfully know" Sasuke said as Naruto nodded and went back to finishing his ramen.

"Okay anybody else have a plan?" JT asked as everybody went quiet trying to think of a plan. After a few minutes of strategizing, Nagato and Konan spoke up making everybody pay attention to them.

"Since he still needs 8 and 9 tails we can lure him out by luring out the statue used to capture the biju" Hyou nodded in agreement as she stood and looked at the group. "That's should work since he always was a gambler at taking high risk but in the end it will be his downfall."

"How are we to do that?" Kankuro asked taking a sip of tea in front of him.

"We will have the 8 and 9 tails join the war after some training to lure out Madara and put our plan to capture him into action."

The room grew quiet as everybody except the Sand siblings and Sasuke looked at Hyou.

"What war?" everybody said as they looked at Hyou, who sweat dropped, forgetting that they didn't know about the war yet.

"The war Madara declared to the 5 nations at the Kage summit."

"You knew Gaara?" Naruto said looking at the quiet Kage who nodded saying that the nations were teaming up to take down Madara. "Really, that's awesome!" Naruto said as he stood up along with everybody else.

"Madara is serious at getting revenge isn't he?" Maru asked as Hyou nodded a sad look on her face.

"Growing up, he was teased in school saying he would never be better than me. He has hated me ever since that day."

Hyou noticed that everybody had finished eating and waved her hand over the table making the dishes disappear. Pulling out a scroll, Hyou unsealed several charms and handed them to her group and Shin.

"Here carry these toma with you whenever you venture around Konoha or Suna" she said to the group who placed them in their pockets. Now everybody get into groups for we are taking you home. Maru I want you to stay here with Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko to explain all that has happened. I and Inari will be taking Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Granny Chiyo, Sasori, and Deidara back to Suna. Everybody else will be heading to Konoha with JT where I left instructions on the table in my house in the forest. Also your jackets will disappear along the way but don't worry they will be hanging in your closets at home. Shin you are to stay with Sai and the rest of you I have rooms in my house that you can stay in."

Nodding in understanding, the two groups broke apart to go with who they were assigned.

"Until we meet again" Naruto said as JT and Hyou made some quick hand signs and said, "Pack Teleportation" before both groups disappeared in a flash of light.

"A lot has changed since I died" Nagato stated calmly as he looked at Konan who nodded tears still visible in her eyes.

"Yes, but thanks to Naruto and his friends, all will be okay."

Nagato and Konan looked at Yahiko who smiled and went to hug his friends while Maru turned away giving the friends some privacy.

"I have one question though" Yahiko said as the team-mates broke away.

"What is it?" Nagato asked as Yahiko felt his face.

"Why do I have so many piercings?" he said in a confused voice as Konan and Nagato laughed forgetting about the chakra rods.

"Wow, Hyou forgot to heal those…" Maru muttered as he went and healed Yahiko as the groups arrived in Suna and Konoha.

_*in Suna*_

Hyou and Inari had just appeared in Gaara's office as Granny Chiyo looked around a soft smile on her face.

"Oh how I missed Suna and my brother, I wish I could stay with my brother again" Chiyo said softly as she looked at the group. Before anybody could utter a word there was a loud knock on the door as one of the ANBU informed the Kazekage that he had company.

"Kuso" Hyou muttered softly as she used a quick illusion jutsu to hide Granny Chiyo, Sasori, and Deidara.

"Enter" Gaara said as he quickly sat down with Temari and Kankuro at his side, hiding their animal traits as the door opened to reveal an ANBU.

"Sir, one of the village's elders requested to see you" the ANBU said moving to show Ebizo, Chiyo's brother. Closing the door to give them privacy, Gaara ask Ebizo to have a seat before asking what he needed.

"Ebizo jii-sama, what brings you here?" Gaara asked ignoring the soft cry from the direction where Hyou and the rest were hidden.

"I…I want to fight in this war. I know I'm old and frail but I want to help like my sis did. It's lonely without out her around…I at least want to die doing what's right."

Hyou looked down at Granny Chiyo who had tears running down her face at her brother's words. Making a quick decision she connected with Gaara's mind and spoke to him.

'_Tell him the truth…I used a silencing jutsu so nobody outside this room will here.'_

Nodding in Hyou's direction, Gaara looked at Ebizo as Hyou dropped the cloaking jutsu.

"Ebizo jii-sama there is something you must know…" Gaara said as Granny Chiyo tapped her brother on his shoulder and he turned to see his sister's smiling face.

_*back in Konoha*_

The group had appeared inside Hyou's house where there were several clones that looked like them waiting.

"While you were gone, we used clones so no one would notice you weren't around. All you have to do is wield them into your body to learn what has happened when you weren't around."

Nodding in understanding, the group absorbed the clones and learned about Naruto's "S-ranked mission" and the rest getting ready for the war. As the group processed the information, JT picked up the note on the table and read it out loud.

"_Naruto they have decided that you are to go train with the 8 tails, Bee, in lightning country while everybody else is to stay in Konoha. Now I need Sai and Hinata to make clones to take their place for they will be joining you soon. Now Naruto will be leaving with Yamato and some ANBU bodyguards in a few minutes and I want everybody else to go home and get ready for you will be leaving tomorrow with JT and Maru. The clones will stay in Konoha and will be controlled by Yohaze and Li. I sent backpacks for everybody, filled with your 'clan clothes' which were gifts from Inari. Naruto you are to take a bag with your regular clothes and Hinata will bring the other one. Since you aren't supposed to know about the war yet, go enjoy some free time before you leave for training. Ganbatte, Hyou_

"Okay let's go" Naruto said as the group separated to go to their homes. Jiraiya, Asuma, and the Third stayed in place as Sai and Shin quickly left out the door. Hinata, Naruto, Kurai, and the Uchiha brothers' then teleported home where the bags were waiting for them. Checking to see if everything they needed was there, which it was, they decided to grab a quick bite before it was time for Naruto to leave. As they ate ramen, surprising Ayame and Teuchi-san at how the bowls were piling up, Yamato found him there saying that Tsunade wanted to see him. Naruto returned 20 minutes later saying he had a secret mission and was going to be leaving for about a month or so. Naruto and Hinata then made their way to their house as Kurai teleported Sasuke and Itachi after they had left. 10 minutes went by before they heard a knocking on the door asking if Naruto was ready. With Kurai, Sasuke, and Itachi disappearing upstairs Naruto answered the door and said that he was ready. Giving Hinata a quick kiss, he waved goodbye before following Yamato out of the gates of Konoha.

"Let's go tour the town with the Third, Asuma-sensei, and the rest" Hinata suggested as they watched Sai and Shin approach them. Agreeing, Kurai rounded up the group and made a tour of the town avoiding the Hokage's office as they showed the revived all the changes of Konoha. After the tour, the group decided to visit the dango shop which was unusually busy. It turned out that the cooks who had made the special dangos for Sasuke made some samples that were now the second best-selling dangos in the business.

"To repay you for the recipe I will give you 10% profits and half off the dangos for the rest of the year."

Thanking the cooks, the group enjoyed their dangos as Anko and Kurenai entered the shop. They had made small conversation before everybody left, saying it was getting late and that they had a big day tomorrow. Asuma smiled when he noticed Kurenai rub her belly where the baby had kicked before leaving with Anko.

_*next morning*_

The group woke up early the next day and met at the clearing where it all started. Maru and JT were already there waiting for them as they made their way through the forest walking as not to draw attention.

"Is everybody ready to go?" JT asked as the group nodded saying they were ready.

"I have Naruto-kun's backpack and I left my clone at the house already" Hinata said as she shifted both backpacks over her shoulders. Maru quickly went to her and took Naruto's backpack saying she didn't have to carry both of them. After Sai said he left his clone the group made their way to the cave where Itachi had been staying.

"Okay so Hyou wants us to travel by land as not to be detected and if we get too far behind we will switch to the air but need to try and stay undetected. We will be going in two groups because if we stay together it will look suspicious so here is how we're splitting. I will be taking Hinata, Sasuke, and Sai and Maru will be taking Kurai, Itachi, and Shin to make it even. So before we leave, any questions regarding me or Maru?" JT could sense they wanted to ask something but no one wanted to state it out loud.

"Why is your eye covered like Kakashi?" Sasuke asked seeing as no one was talking. Maru sighed and opened his mouth to explain until the group heard a twig snap outside the cave door. The group turned as they saw dark brown hair leave the cave entrance as whoever was there ran away.

"Was that Neji?" Sasuke asked before he heard Kurai curse and Hinata gave chase, the rest behind her.

"No, Hanabi!" Hinata said as she saw her little sister running back the way they had just come from.

"Leave her to me and Maru" JT said as they went deeper into the woods while Kurai had pinned Hanabi in the clearing where they just were.

"When the council hears that you've been working with the enemy you will be sealed for sure and forced to obey me" Hanabi said smugly as she looked at Sasuke and Itachi.

"Little brat" Kurai said advancing towards Hanabi but stopped by a hand owned by Hinata.

"Why do you hate me? What did I do to deserve how you treated me?" Hinata asked wanting to know what was on her sister's mind.

"You stole what was rightfully mine. I hate that you were born first and that you cheated your way into taking the title of heiress from me" Hanabi screamed, anger shone in her white eyes as she glared at her sister. Just then everybody heard a growl coming from behind them as they turned to see a white tiger as big as Akamaru slowly stalk towards them.

'_JT'_ the group thought as they noticed the eyes of the tiger were similar to those of their guide.

"Wh-what is a tiger doing here?" Hanabi asked backing her way up into a tree as the tiger came closer to her. The tiger continued to growl as it stopped about two feet from Hanabi who was scared, not taking her eyes off of it. The SFC then heard rustling from above as the group except Hanabi looked up to see Maru with his eye uncovered. Maru's eye was the same as JT but a different color pattern. While JT's had a yellow iris with a green pupil and black lens, Maru's eye was green with a blue pupil and black lens. However his eye didn't stay like that as it started to change making everybody gasp. Hearing everybody gasp and noticing their line of sight, Hanabi took her eyes off the tiger long enough to look up, where she was shocked to see a white haired man who right eye was currently wielding the byakugan.

"How-" is all she had time to say before Maru closed the chakra network to her arms making them un-useable. As Maru's eye changed back to its original form the group heard Hanabi struggling and turned to see her trying to run. "Why can't I move?" Hanabi asked frantically as she looked at the faces around her before remembering the tiger who was grinning.

"Psychic abilities are very helpful for keeping people in place" the tiger said as Maru jumped down from the tree. Hanabi gasped, looking into Maru's eye when he said "mind seal" and her gaze went foggy as Maru entered her mind.

"Be careful not to damage anything in her mind" JT said as she slowly changed back into her human form before walking over to Hanabi and Maru. Maru nodded slightly as he was concentrating on erasing everything Hanabi had overheard.

"Get ready to put her to sleep" Maru said suddenly when he regained controlled of his body as Hanabi blinked a confused look on her face. JT was in front of her within seconds as she started to sing a chant:

"_You dream a dream that can't be said, as you wake up in your bed."_

Hanabi's eye grew heavy as she yawned and fell asleep standing up as JT caught her. Maru moved beside her and picked up Hanabi bridle style before disappearing to put her back in the bed at the Hyuuga Manor. A few seconds later, Maru returned and nodded saying everything went well before turning to the group who were still in shock. JT looked at the group, smiled, and said to hurry for they were behind thanks to that little obstacle. The SFC just blinked and stared at how fast her focus switched as she began to walk away. They then looked at Maru, who had covered his eye once more, and waited for him to say something about the situation. Maru noticed the stares and sighed saying that he would explain on the way as they were really behind and started to walk fast just to catch up with JT.

"…" is what came from the group as they followed their team leaders on the path to the Konoha gates as they waited for some explanation. After they had made it to the gates, which was still closed, JT and Maru teleported them on the outside before explaining what had happened in the clearing.

"No we don't have the byakugan, no we did not take the byakugan from another person, and no we are not related to the Hyuuga" Maru stated as soon as they were on the other side. "Our eyes are a unique blood-line that only Hyou has which lets us copy the eyes of anybody we see no matter if its blood-line trait or not. The only reason Maru has it is because Hyou saved his mother by transplanting some of her chakra before Maru was born. It seems that the chakra flowed from her into Maru therefore giving him the blood-line too."

"Is it like the sharingan where he can't deactivate and why he covers his eye?" Sasuke asked knowing that Kakashi covered his was because his sharingan drained his chakra and couldn't be deactivated. JT shook her head.

"No, that's not the reason why he covers his eye. Like the sharingan we aren't born with it active, in fact we're born with normal eyes but once we reach a certain age our eyes start changing to this. Since I was a part of Hyou my eyes were already formed but only one of Maru's eyes has changed due to the fact it's not his blood-line trait. He's actually embarrassed as everybody used to stare at him so he covered his eye to hide it, saying it drew too much attention to him."

"So your eyes can copy the sharingan, byakugan, and rinnegan and let you use that blood-line anytime or exactly how does your eye work?" Sai asked as the group stopped walking too absorbed into the story to realize.

"Well actually the eye copies the _look_, not the ability the eye holds. It then places something like a genjutsu on the mind making the person think that the eye is real. So when Maru eye changed that to the byakugan and he tapped Hanabi's shoulders, that's all he did was tap her shoulders in random spots. He didn't hit her chakra points because he can't see them but in Hanabi's mind she believed he did thus making her arms useless because her brain told her body they were."

"So your eye is mostly used as illusion to trick a person's mind in thinking something is happening when it isn't" Itachi said putting the pieces together as JT and Maru nodded.

"Exactly and when we get more practice in we will be able to trick people into thinking we can use non-eye blood-lines like Shikamaru's shadow possession" JT said as she looked up at the sky and frowned when she noticed that the sun was high in the air.

"Kuso, we're really behind. Okay time to hit the skies" she said as Sasuke summoned a hawk to catch them up with Naruto and his group without being seen. "Don't worry without any further distractions we should be there soon" JT said happily as the hawk took off into the sky to get the group back on schedule in tailing Naruto. About a week later they made their way to the lightning country and start of their greatest achievements.


	13. Take me away, a secret place

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Chapter 11- _"Take me away to a secret place, a sweet escape"_

_*time skip*_

"It seems that they took a boat to the island" JT stated looking at the speck in the distance that was the body Naruto and his bodyguards were on.

"So how are we going to get across without being seen?" Shin asked looking at the calm water that lapped against the shore.

"Tigers swim well" JT said suddenly making everybody look at her.

"What do you mean by that?" Hinata asked as she and JT noticed Maru frown deeply.

"I mean that tigers are really good swimmers and since I summon tigers…" JT said knowing that they would make the connection real quick.

"We're going to cross the water on the back of tigers" Sai said as JT nodded before making some quick hand signs.

"Yes, I can carry my group on my back and-" there was a low growling sound that JT ignored as she continued. "-I will summon two more to carry the rest of the group, including Maru." The growling stopped as JT made familiar hand signs before pressing her hand to the water. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu" and JT summoned two tigers one twice as big as Akamaru and one smaller. JT then began to shift back into her cat form and from there they watched as her fur grew lighter until she turned back into her tiger form, the goggles still on her head.

"Why did you summon two tigers if you and the larger one can carry us easily?" Sasuke asked as JT used her tail to slip her goggles over her eyes before answering.

"The smaller one is to let Hyou know that we are on our way since she said she needed to talk to Bee first." Seeing the logic in the plan both groups cautiously settled on the backs of the tigers as the little one went ahead of the group. As soon as everybody was settled JT and the summoned tiger, named Tor, started swimming at a rapid pace the group realized when the boat steadily came closer and closer.

"Wow you are fast" Kurai said as the boat was easily seen from where they were as JT and Tor stopped as to remain undetected by the people on the boat. They then swam at a slow steady pace as to keep distance between them and the boat. JT looked back and made sure everybody was still accounted for as she looked at Maru who had a scowl on his face. Sighing, JT continued to swim while Hinata, Sasuke, and Sai noticed the change in the tiger's attitude.

"Hey JT, is Maru afraid of the water or something?" Hinata whispered in JT's ear not wanting to be overheard in case he was embarrassed. JT shook her head and continued to swim at the same steady pace as Hinata thought what to ask next. "Is he weak to water therefore doesn't like being over it because it makes him nervous?" JT chuckled a little saying that he was weak to water but that wasn't the problem. Before Hinata could ask her next question Sasuke spoke up asking what element affinity they had as he hadn't yet to see them use any jutsus beside the summoning one.

"Well Maru and I actually have not one, not two, but three types of elements that we can use. Originally Maru was born with two along with me but when our eyes activated we somehow managed to gain a third in the form of lightning. My elements are water, wind, and lightning while Maru's is the exactly opposite with earth, fire, and lightning. I specialize in mostly in ice and swift style but I can combine water and lightning to make storms, like that night, while Maru is better at lava and steel style although he has this one unusual jutsu that appears to be steam which I still don't understand." Shocked at the their ability to use three elements at a young age JT spoke up answering Hinata's unanswered question from earlier.

"The reason that Maru is frowning has to do with our dimension being destroyed and his life changing forever. As you can tell by the "fang" mark on his cheeks that he is related to the Inuzuka clan but in our dimension they used wolves instead of dogs. They were known as the ookamizoku clan and were one of the most powerful animal clans around." JT grew silent as she relived the members that she tried so hard to forget but knew they would never go away. "Until his whole clan, every single person and animal was wiped out by Madara when he took over for many people knew that Madara had a keen hatred for wolves. No one knew why but the ookamizoku was the first to be attacked after Madara had gained power wiping out almost the whole clan except for those who managed to escape…if any did. Maru, who was with me that fateful day changed for not only did he lose his family and friends, he lost his two wolf partners in which he raised from pups given to him by his mother and Hyou. What made it worse was the two wolves were rare breeds that are now extinct in this world." Hinata's couldn't stop the tears from falling as she listened to JT's sad tale about Maru's past while Sasuke and Sai picked up the stones that formed from her tears. "The final straw however was when we came to this world." Everybody was listening as they waited for JT to continue as the other tiger caught up and was now side by side with her.

"Since there was still an Inuzuka clan alive in this world, I was turned into a cat to keep balance for my existence in this world could unravel something bad for the Inuzuka clan" Maru said from beside them as the tigers stopped swimming. Everybody could feel the rage and hate radiating off of him after the words left his lips. "I hate Madara with my life and if I ever get the chance to seek revenge I will do it in a heartbeat and no one will stand in my way." Everybody grew silent as the threat stayed thick in the air like a dense fog making the surroundings uncomfortable.

"Oh the boat has stopped" JT said making everybody turn and look cleansing the air of the horrid feeling. Sure enough the boat had stopped as the group saw tentacles appear out of the water advancing towards the boat. "Naruto will be fine, the squid is harmless and likes to play around" JT said as she sensed Hinata's fear as she realized what was happening. "Okay since we're close and actually need to BEAT them to the island everybody hang on tight and hold your breath" JT said as she dived under the water along with the other tiger. Holding her breathe, JT quickly switched back to her human form before making some quick hand signs under the water. '_Rabbit, ox, dragon, horse, rabbit'_ she thought mentally as she and the tiger was engulfed in a light blue chakra that seemed to form a cushion of air around them. Changing back into a tiger JT nudged her head telling them to hand on as she mentally said, _'swift style: water tiger wave'_ before she and Tor (the other tiger) started swimming again.

The group could see the difference in speed change as they seemed to be propelled through the water diving lower when approaching the boat and going back up when the boat was long gone in a matter of seconds. After about a minute had passed the group felt themselves being lifted out of the water and the tigers broke surface to show that island a mere five feet away as they slowed down their speed as not to run into the island. As the tigers reached the shore of the island the chakra quickly disappeared as JT was breathing heavily obviously worn out as she sluggishly made her way onto try land where she collapsed changing into her cat form as the group looked at her.

"What was that weird jutsu you just used?" Sasuke said wondering if he was able to copy it and use it for later.

"Swift style…water tiger…wave" JT breathed out heavily as she slowly looked up at the group. "Uses wind…and lightning…element" JT took a few more minutes before she could breathe properly but was still very exhausted.

"Why didn't you use that jutsu in the beginning?" Shin asked as JT looked up at Maru as if saying for him to explain.

"Although the jutsu gives her the ability to move at extreme speeds it heavily drains chakra the bigger she is and since she was fueling chakra to both her and the summoning she wouldn't have been able to take the strain on her body." JT looked at Tor as the smaller one named Rara joined him next to the shore.

"Thanks you two, you can go on home now" she said to her summonings who roared in thanks before leaving. "Hey Maru don't just stand there make that mouth of yours useful and dry them off before they get sick" JT said as she saw their dripping wet clothes. Growling lowly Maru made hand signs of "dog, snake, rabbit dragon, and tiger" before a small smile showed on his face.

"_Steam style: dog breath sauna"_ and Maru took a deep breath and began to blow hot air that was the equivalent of a hair dryer as the group clothes started to dry almost instantly. After several minutes everybody's clothes were completely dry as if they just came out of the dryer.

Kiba: what kind of name is "dog breath sauna?" Are you insulting dogs now?

Me: No it just-

Kakashi: You know I don't believe there is such thing as steam style...

Me: It's possible if you learn to-

Kiba: Akamaru's breath does not feel like a sauna in fact he is the best ninja dog there is!

Me: I wasn't trying to insult any-

Kakashi: What kind of elements combine to make steam style anyway?

Me: Fire, water, and wind I guess now-

Kiba: You just don't like dogs am I right?

Me: No, I just like wolves and cats better but-

Kakashi: But I thought his elements were fire, earth, and lightning?

Me: He does but he can use steam style I guess because of Hyou's cha-

Kiba: Admit it you're a cat lover that's why you bash dogs li-

Me: SHUT UP! I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DOGS OKAY, NOW LEAVE ME ALONE *summons tiger boss*

Kiba and Kakashi: … (Leaves)

Me: *eye twitching* Back to story

As soon as Maru had finished with his steam style jutsu there was a sound of yowling and hissing as Maru laughed his bark like laugh looking down around his feet. The group did the same and saw a gray four legged ball of fluff with goggles on as JT's fur was sticking up everywhere from the steam jutsu. "Hey Hinata do you mind picking up "Fluffy" there?" Maru said still laughing as he headed into the island with the rest of the SFC and a very pissed off cat who was threatening to get even later on. As the threats kept going they finally reached a building where a figure was waiting for them as they approached.

"I see you all made it safely and unharmed…somewhat" Hyou said before she noticed JT growling and hissing at Maru who had a tiny smirk as he looked at Hyou. Hyou waved her hand over JT, making her fur go back to normal before she turned and started addressing the Silver Fox Clan. "Sorry but I can't stay to help you with your training so I will have JT, Maru, and Bee train you until it's time to join the war. Hinata and Kurai you will be training with JT, Sasuke and Itachi you will have Maru, and Sai and Shin will have Bee training you in sword mastering until Naruto is ready for the next step in his training. Now JT and Maru no fighting when I'm gone, now please show them to their sleeping quarters I have something else to do" and with that Hyou disappeared. Having a glaring contest, both friends showed the group to their rooms where they changed into their clan clothes that were surprising not wet along with the bag.

"Now the 'clan clothes' hide your chakra signature so people won't sense that you're here also as part of everybody's training you should practice the invisibility jutsu if you're going to walk around." After everybody had settled in Hinata felt a click in her mind signifying that Naruto was trying to talk to her.

'_Hinata-chan, are you guys there?'_ Naruto asked as he just finished meeting Bee who he seemed to like.

'_Yes Naruto-kun we just made it here'_ she responded back as the group waked around taking in their surroundings.

'_That's good…where's Sasuke-teme and the rest'_ Naruto thought until he heard a male voice in his mind saying,

'_I heard that dobe'_ surprising both Hinata and Naruto.

'_Hey how are you able to hear our thoughts?_' Naruto thought as Sasuke mentally shrugged and said that he didn't know_. _

'_I was just thinking how much you had changed when I heard your voice'_ Sasuke said as everybody grew quiet processing that information. Hinata, seeing JT pass by, asked how Sasuke could hear their thoughts when she was talking with Naruto. Yawning, JT told her that the clan now had a special '_communication wave' _that was linked to all the members and that all they had to do was think about who they wanted to talk to and they could. As JT left, mostly likely going to take a catnap, Hinata met up with the rest of the group just as Bee and Naruto arrived on the island. As everybody watched Bee the clan found him to be …interesting as he didn't act like they expected_. _

'_In a strange sense he actually reminds me of Naruto-kun'_ Itachi thought mentally as everybody agreed making Naruto smile a bit. Until Sasuke thought with a sigh, _'yea loud, dense, and annoying…one is enough' _making Naruto frown and growl at Sasuke calling him a _'duck butt-hair stupid teme'_ as the girls resisted the urge to giggle. The group watched Naruto try and befriend Bee, instead insulting him when he tried to rap, as he left for his room Naruto trying to figure out what he did wrong. As Naruto walks off to the Falls of Truth, Hinata wanting to follow but knowing she couldn't, the group silently knocked on the door before a voice hollered out telling them to enter. As they filed into the room and closed the door Bee, who had his back to them, had yet to turn around they waited for him to acknowledge them or say something.

"I know you are there so go ahead and show yourself" he said finally turning around as the group dropped the invisibility jutsu.

"We wanted to know if it's okay to use your island as our training ground" Kurai said as she stared into Bee's black shades that didn't seemed to reveal nothing. Then a large smile broke out on Bee's face before he started to rap looking at the group.

"_Of course you can, no need for me to be rude, already got permission from your girl Hyou, Yeah."_ The group just sweat dropped at the over-excited jinchūriki that left with them to begin their training.

Me: *dancing, celebrating*

?: (whispering) she's been dancing since she got back some reviews from her story…should we go ask what's wrong with her?

?: (sigh) I'll do it (thinking: since I only been in one of her comments so far)

?: *walks over to a dancing me*

Neji: What is wrong with you? What's got you so excited that you acting like Tobi hyped up on sugar?

Tobi: (far away in background) Tobi is a good boy *blown up by Deidara*

Me: People like my story! I'm so happy :) *continues dancing*

Neji: Yea some people like this story but this isn't your popular story...

Me: *stops dancing* What you mean?

All: *overlapping voices* He's right-Other two stories more famous-How didn't realize this?

Tenten: Your stories "Revenge of Konoha #1 Prankster" and "Night of the Vulpine Moon" are way more popular 

Me: *goes to look* ...wow, you're right. I can't believe I didn't notice that...

All: (talking at once) You're not going to cry because this story isn't as popular as those are you?

Me: ...no. *big happy smile* That means people like my stories Yay! *goes back to dancing*

All :(big anime sweat drop) ..."Troublesome" (disappears) 

While Naruto was at the Falls of Truth to battle his inner evil, the rest of the silver fox clan followed Hyou's advice and started their training for the upcoming war. Killer Bee was training with Sai and Shin on sword mastering and the to wield multiple swords like him. While the training was hard, both ex ROOT Anbu were enjoying their time with Bee as they never felt more alive in just interacting and having fun with the rapping vessel.

"Bee-sama, (yea he them to call him that) can you explain how to make and keep a strong bond?" Sai asked as he dodged one of Bee's swords and knocked another one away from Shin as Bee smiled at their improvement.

"Making a bond, is a strong thing you see, but it's possible why just look at me. Me and Hacibi bond's are strong as hell, so don't dwell on the fact that you might fail. You don't see that you are wrong, because you have bonds that are strong. Yeah." Bee rapped as he upped his training by adding another sword which threw Sai and Shin for a loop. As hard as the training was, they enjoyed training under Bee while the others watched them before they started their training.

"I never seen Sai and Shin so happy before, Bee must be really good if he can put smiles on their faces. They really look like their enjoying themselves so how about we do the same" JT said, a fist in the air as her happy aura seemed to rub off on them as they agreed with her while Maru sighed and said she was annoying at times which earned him a glare from the feline.

"Let's just hope those two don't pick up his rapping habit" Maru muttered as he shuddered, making the kunoichi giggle at his reaction and at the thought of Sai and Shin trying to rap.

"Okay now before we begin training does everybody know what their element is?" JT asked as she watched Hinata and Kurai shake their heads no before she said okay and handed all of them a piece of paper.

"We already know what our element" Sasuke said as Maru handed him and Itachi the same chakra paper while he grinned and said that their elements were known to change after receiving blessings from deities.

"So you guys should know what to do with the paper. Hinata, Kurai, just fuel some chakra through the paper and it will show you what your elemental nature is." JT explained as she showed in example. The two kunoichi watched as the paper split down the middle, one half was soaking wet and the other half crinkled up. "Now you four try" JT said as she and Maru watched the four channel their chakra into the paper to find many surprises. Sasuke paper wrinkled up before it burst into flames and turned into ash while Itachi's paper grew damp before it too burst into flames and turned into ash, a corner of it crumbled away, which they didn't really see.

"So Sasuke has fire, lightning chakra result and Itachi has fire, water chakra. So I will be teaching you fire, lightning, and blaze jutsus Sasuke and Itachi me and JT will be teaching you to use boil jutsu. Now for Hinata and Kurai...okay, that's interesting" Maru said as he turned toward them only to notice the two kunoichi's papers that had JT gaping at the uniqueness.

"What does this mean?" Hinata asked as Itachi and Sasuke raised a brow at the paper that was in their hands before looking at Maru and JT, who snapped out of her trance.

"I think it means you share such a strong bond with your soul-mate that you can use his element within your attacks. Now let's see here..." JT said as she and Maru examined the results of the paper as to figure out what each kunoichi could do. Hinata's paper was damp but they could easily see the split halfway through the paper which they guessed meant it was her soul-mate's element.

"So Hinata's affinity is water, according to how soaked the paper is, but the cut halfway clearly shows that her partner is a wind user who affinity is most likely wind. I wonder who it is?" JT kidded as the group watched Hinata blush, all knowing who the wind chakra belonged to. "Now for Kurai" JT said as they turned their attention to the neko who was looking at her paper with curiosity. Kurai's paper had turned to dirt that was moist and half of it could be seen as ash which made Maru raise a brow while JT gave her a large Cheshire cat-like grin.

"Kurai has an affinity of earth but her soul-mate has two elements. His main element must be fire but he can also use water jutsus but doesn't have a true affinity in either one." JT said the grin on her face as Kurai had a slight blush as she avoided everybody's eye contact. Sasuke turned toward his brother with a knowing look and was surprised to see his brother blushing a bit, it was small but he could see it, and a smile tugged at his lips as he thought about how much he was going to tease his brother over this.

"Okay, now that we know what your elements are we will start training in adding it to your attacks and learning new jutsus around your elements."

"But it could take years to successfully combine our elements with attacks. The only reason Naruto-kun was able to do it in a few months was because he used shadow clones to help him" Hinata said but soon stopped when she Maru started to speak again.

"For regular shinobi, yes, but for hanyou of the silver fox clan, months and years are just hours and days with a good teacher." The clan members smiled at this and said that they had faith in them and that they should get started.

" Alright now, at first it was going to be boys with Maru and girls with me but due to Kurai's earth chakra and Itachi needing some more water jutsu those two will swap every other day. Now then, let's move out team" JT said as she took one side of the training room while Maru sighed and took to the other side to start their training.

Elsewhere on the island, Hyou walked to Bee's room with a purpose as she entered and made her way straight to Samehada with a frown on her face. "I know you're in there so come on out...Kisame" and with a look of surprise, Kisame left his sword and stood in front of Hyou, about 2 inches taller than her.

"Heh, so you found me now how did you know I was in there?" Kisame said, smiling his toothy grin before he blinked as he realized something about Hyou. "Wait, were you the one who has been sending me the weird dreams?" Kisame asked and grew quiet when he noticed Hyou nod, the serious look still etched on her face.

"Yes, now do you want to help...or not?" Kisame sighed as he looked around the room before he returned his attention back to Hyou who calmly waited for his answer.

"You know all the time I've been in the Akatsuki, I never once saw Itachi smile" Kisame said which made Hyou blink before a small smile appeared on her face.

"Help me and I will make sure you get to see him smile before..." Kisame went quiet as he processed this statement before he nodded and said he would do it. Hyou smiled and said thank you as she handed Kisame a kunai with a smirk, her yellow eyes gleaming at her new ally.

*time skip-3 days later*

Bee had left them to go check on how Naruto to see how he was dealing with his inner evil while they sat down to relax over the intense training they had just been through. "Whew, you weren't kidding about us learning element jutsu at such a fast rate. Man I'm tired but I had fun being closer to Itachi-kun" Kurai said as the group got together for a break and discuss all they had learned.

"Bee-sama has really been good at teaching us how to use swords and even let us have some of his extras. Now me and Shin can wield 3 swords and battle using all three of them at the same time. My ink drawings have also become more powerful while Shin's reflexes are awesome" Sai said proudly as he took a drink of water from his bottle as Shin agreed and asked how the other trio were doing with their training.

"Maru has helped me learn how to summon ghost fire, set my katana on fire, and use a fire-based chidori I'm going to call "neko todoroki (Feline Roar) because it sounds like the roars of wild cats when I strike." Sasuke said as he took an on girl from the pile left for them and handed to his brother before he took one for him self. "So how are the boil jutsus coming along nii-san?" Sasuke asked as he took a bite into the onigirl and looked at his brother.

"Maru also taught me how summon ghost fire, however while Sasuke's is dark blue, mine has a blood-red look to it. I think it depends on our chakra on what color it will be (or the author XD). He and JT have also been teaching me on how to combine both my elements so I can now use some boil jutsus that will leave 2nd and 1st degree burns on my enemies and as a defense I can create a wall that will burn almost anything that comes in contact with it." Itachi said before he finished off the rice ball in his hand. Kurai smirked as she licked a piece off of his lip making him blush a bit and Sasuke cough to hide the snort that had escaped when Itachi gave glared at him.

"Well JT and Maru are cool and been teaching me some wicked jutsus, Maru especially in earth jutsus. I can now create an earth barrier anywhere around my body by sending chakra through my chakra points as long as I'm around earth. I can also use a flame rotation and other jutsus combining the gentle fist and thanks to Maru I have a 1-2 hit combo that can either be used separate to cause damage or together to cause even more damage."

"Really how so?"

"I can send lava underground and bring it up to catch my enemy off guard but its doesn't work on fast enemies so I would use an earthquake rotation then while they're trying to catch their balance send the lava at them. Still need some practice timing it right though but if it fails then I can at least get them with a weak wood style jutsu they taught me although it's just roots grow out of the ground to trip my enemy." Everybody then turned toward Hinata who was the last one to speak and noticed the smile on her face.

"JT has really been helpful in showing me how to combine water and wind chakra to create ice an use it in both offensive and defensive jutsus. Like Kurai I can create a layer of ice around my body through my chakra network and use ice rotation to make a quick barrier around my whole body. I can use water rotation to slow down kunai and shuriken or protect myself from fire jutsu as long as I add enough chakra to distinguish the flames. Then there is the ice barrier that I can use to cover my team-mates if needed and finally I can use an air rotation that is kind of like a chakra twister." Everybody commented on the others abilities and jutsus when they started to discuss their "sensei" who disappeared at the beginning of the break.

"Has anybody else noticed how JT and Maru while teaching us kind of used our abilities more on revenge against each other?" Kurai stated as the others nodded while Sai and Shin looked confused.

"How so?"

"Well...

*flashback* (A/N: The flashback jumps around so each new paragraph is a new incident)

_Maru was sleeping next to a wall in the training chamber while JT trained Hinata on using water rotation. "Okay Hinata now I want you to try and chill the water without fully freezing it and then send it around you to freeze your enemies okay? Okay now try it. Water-ice rotation. Hinata used water-rotation, slowly chilled the water, then using a burst of wind chakra sent it flying everywhere at the test dummies. Hinata heard a loud sound mixed between a yowl and a growl which made her stop spinning and turn to look for the source. She found it when she noticed JT laughing at something behind her and turned to see Maru soaking wet and shivering as he glared at JT. "Th-thi-this me-mea-means w-wa-war" Maru said shaking violently from the cold as he left the chamber to get warm and extract his revenge while JT sat there laughing._

"_Okay Itachi, me and JT will be teaching you how to create a vapor wall using your boil jutsu. Now to do this you need to control the vapor as soon as you use the attack to create a barrier in front of you. If your element was wind also it would be easier to send around others but for now you can use it to shield yourself and anybody who is directly behind you. Now let's try it." Itachi created a vapor from his mouth and created a barrier which Maru tested by throwing kunai and they melted within reaching the barrier. "Good now try and your fire element with it" Itachi gave Maru a look and mentally shrug as he used a small fire jutsu which unbalanced the vapor jutsu and boiling water went everywhere...especially on JT while Maru dodged in time. JT yowled in pain as she shifted into her cat form and ran out the room, cursing Maru along the way while he let out bark-like laughs._

"_Now Hinata will using rotation I want you to fuel chakra to your feet and jump as high as you can then send out the wind chakra mix with your own to create a twister chakra that will suck all nearby enemies into the vortex than send them flying into different directions. Let's try it now. Hinata did as she was told and created a large vortex of wind and chakra that acted like a vacuum and sucked up one poor individual and tossed him halfway across the room before Hinata realized it. After Hinata landed she ran over to Maru, with a swirling eye, and apologized repeated while JT's laughter could be heard echoing as she left the room._

"_Now Sasuke I want you to strengthen your Chidori Current so that it will not only be more powerful be able to reach a further distance. You should also train it to cut through enemy attacks . Let's begin." Sasuke fueled more chakra into his chidori current and did as Maru instructed as he moved out of the way. It was going good until they heard footsteps and JT called out to Maru, asking what he called her for. I believe you can guess what happened...that's right, JT ran straight in the middle of Sasuke's training and became a giant static furball that twitched every now and then. "Good training Sasuke I think you deserve a break. See you later." And with that Maru hightailed it out of the room as JT mumbled about Maru sleeping with one eye open._

"_Okay, Kurai since you've been learning the earthquake rotation from Maru I want to see you how strong it is before we take a break. Now Hinata fuel chakra to your feet and stay afloat while Kurai practice the rotation, alright ready Kurai...let it rock." Kurai nodded and started to spin, causing a small earthquake which started to shake the room a bit. "Stronger Kurai, make it shake the whole island!" Kurai upped the speed and chakra in the ground until everybody in the room was knocked off their feet and a small fissure quickly formed and made its way straight for Maru who was trying to get his balance. _

"_Kuso, JTTT" Maru was saying until he fell into the fissure only to claw his way back up, covered in dirt and a evil glare on his face. "Tie-breaker anyone?" JT said smirking as Maru slowly made his way over to the grinning feline with a killing intent that could kill a human. Sensing a battle about to take place, Bee decided it was time for them to take a break in which JT and Maru agreed before they both ran out the room. Bee soon followed and that is what lead to them relaxing._

Shin and Sai chuckled as the group finished telling their stories as the got up and stretched. They suddenly felt a click in their minds and a over-excited Naruto who was talking a mile a minute about how he finally defeated his evil side and was going to be training with Bee soon on controlling the Kyuubi's chakra. All the clan wished him good luck as they decided to go back to training on weakening and strengthening their elements when needed. After another hour of elemental chakra control, they decided to call it a day on ninjutsu and relax as to refuel their chakra. Hinata decided to take it a step further and snuck off to her room for a short nap that was calling out to her.

"Ah, peace and quiet, now for a little fox nap" Hinata muttered as she curled up on the bed, her 6 tails used as a blanket as she fell into a quick easy sleep. In the dream world, she felt her body floating around as if searching for something until she touched land and when she looked around she was surprised to see her house that she shared with Naruto and others.

'_Why am I here?' _Hinata thought as she sat down on the porch, looking out at the forest around her.

"I brought you here" a voice said making Hinata look beside her as she saw a large black vixen sitting beside her, the fox's 9 flowing tails fanning behind her.

'_Who are you?' _Hinata asked looking at the fox, a sense of familiarly itching at her as she looked at the fox that had yet to turn her head.

"Don't worry about it now Hinata. We will meet again real soon" the fox said as she started to fade.

'_Wait, at least tell me your name' _Hinata cried as she felt her dream world start to blur and disappear, the sign that she was waking up.

"You already know my name Hinata dear" the fox said as she turned her head slightly to look at Hinata from the corner of her eye.

Before Hinata could look at her face, the vixen and the world around her disappeared and she felt herself return to her body. Gasping, Hinata woke up and quickly looked around, slightly disappointed to see she was back in her room on the island as recalled her dream.

'_That was a weird dream' _Hinata thought as she checked the time and saw she had slept for a couple of hours. Stretching very much in the manner of a cat, Hinata got up from the comfortable bed and headed back out to find the rest of the group had returned to the training room and Kurai was watching the boys spar against each other with their weapons. Itachi, borrowing Sasuke's old katana, was sparing with Sasuke against Sai and Shin.

"I think I just found my new favorite pass time" Kurai muttered as Hinata got closer to her smirking darker half

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked as she sat down beside Kurai who slightly turned to look at her.

"I mean I'm seriously enjoying the way those boys are flexible, sweating, and moving right now" Kurai muttered real lowly so that only Hinata could hear her. Hinata watched the boys and realized what Kurai meant as she nodded absently in agreement before she gasped and said that it was wrong while Kurai was laughing at Hinata's unknown agreement. The boys stopped sparring and looked at the kunoichi, a question in their eyes, as Hinata and Kurai waved at them saying everything was okay.

"Stop gossiping about us and let's finish training" Sasuke said with a small smile as Kurai grumbled about the show ending and got up to join in some more training. They were practicing summoning different sizes of animals when they felt a surge of energy in the distance that had them sensing for the source.

'_I did it...I finally controlled the Kyuubi's chakra...that baka fox didn't even make it easy for me.' _Naruto grumbled to the clan as they congratulated him. Hinata thought of the Kyuubi and mentally thanked him too in which he responded, sounding extremely tired as if fighting Naruto took a lot out of him.

"**He deserved it although he should have known I wasn't going to make it easy for him. I'm Kyuubi, the King of Biju, I don't make life easy for no one, especially a baka like Naruto." **There was a long pause before Kyuubi spoke again, a hint of sadness in his voice. **"Vixen, if its too much trouble can you lend me control just for about 10 minutes" **Kyuubi asked nicely which surprised Hinata but she gave him control after she dismissed herself and went back to her room. Hinata felt her spirit be pushed in the back of her mind as Kyuubi took over. Kyuubi summoned a scroll and then a fox which he spoke to in barks, yips, and other fox-like sounds that Hinata strangely couldn't understand before the fox and scroll disappeared. Kyuubi than sighed and thanked her for the use as he left for his body but not before leaving Hinata a special gift.

'_Kyuubi what did you do to me?' _Hinata asked as she regained control and felt an enormous surge of power shoot through her whole body.

"**I have sealed away half my powers within vixen for you will need it in the near future. I have already done the same with Naruto and when the time comes, the seals will unlock and the power will merge with your own and make you even more powerful."**

'_But why would you do something like that?' _Hinata asked but didn't receive an answer so she sighed and went to find the rest of hanyo. When she found them, she suddenly turned towards the temple where Naruto was training and started to run there, Kurai calling her named but she ignored her. Hearing their footsteps behind her, she continued running as Kurai mentally asked her what was wrong.

'_I can sense Naruto-kun.'_

'_Well there is a strong connection between the two of you so that's not surprising but why did you take off ?'_

'_Something big is about to happen and I think we need to go see' _Hinata finished telling Kurai as she slowed down and snuck passed the guards to see Naruto in his new form. That was the only surprising part, the other was when the rest of the group caught up and saw someone flee the scene.

"Was that Kisame?" Sasuke whispered to Itachi who nodded slightly, a frown on his face as they watched the battle transgress from the biju temple to the falls of truth to open sea as Gai, Bee, and Naruto fought the final Akatsuki member. As soon as they had captured Kisame, Itachi used his new bakeneko ability to look inside Kisame's mind (possession) and learned the truth of Madara's trickery. When Kisame bit his tongue to wake himself up, Itachi was tossed out of his mind and back to his own body as he let out a curse that was thankfully not heard but the others.

"He's going to kill himself isn't he?" Sai said a hint of worry heard as Sasuke looked up at his brother's harden face and knew the answer. Hinata steeled herself to watch the battle to the very end for she knew that it was part of a shinobi's life and that once they got on the battle field that many would die. So they all stayed there and watched, wishing there was something they could do but know there wasn't anything, as Kisame committed suicide and had his sharks eat him. After the shark stole the real scroll and swam away, Itachi suddenly turned and walked away, not saying a word, as he walked back to his room.

"I think this hurt him deep" Kurai muttered as she and Sasuke ran after the retreating Uchiha while the rest decided to give him some space until he felt like talking to them. They all finally caught up with him at his door and asked if he was okay. The group was surprised to see his eyes bright with unshed tears as he softly spoke.

"Truthfully, Kisame was my 1st true friend outside of the clan and I will miss him greatly" Itachi said before he sighed and opened his door to see-

"Aw, I never knew you viewed our friendship as something special Itachi" Kisame said as he stood against the wall, sharky grin wide on his face as he chucked at the surprised look on Itachi and the rest of the clan's face.

"How-how are you alive? We watched get eaten by your own summoning shark?" Kurai asked trying to put it together in her mind but only coming up with a headache. Thankfully for them, Kisame explained as he talked about Hyou visiting him in Samehada and his decision to help her bring down Madara.

"I used a flesh clone to take my place-" Kisame said as he showed them his arm where there was a small cut where Hyou took blood before he continued to explain. "-and controlled it from a safe distance away until it did its job. Sorry I had to give your position away but Hyou said it would help draw out Madara for the war." Kisame chuckled when he saw the group nod and Itachi smile, a real smile, that made the shark man happy as he secretly thanked Hyou in the back of his mind.

"So 'Gills', are you going to stay here with us and train or what?" Kurai asked as she smirked when Kisame twitched at the nickname but calmed himself enough to answer.

"Not this time, it would cause too many problems if I was seen besides I going to go help Hyou with something, but I promise I will be back for the war to fight with y'all." As the group said their goodbyes, Kisame gave them a two finger salute before he disappeared in a poof as the real Kisame dispersed his clone.

"Now that all the exciting is over how about we get back to training on combing our attacks in battle?" Kurai said loudly as the group cheered and quickly made their way back to the training hall. All 6 clan members paired up-Sai and Shin, Sasuke and Itachi, and Kurai and Hinata-and went back to seeing how they could combine their attacks to cover the other until the sun started to set and they officially called it a day. "Hey let's go watch blondie do some training" Kurai said as they agreed and took off toward the biju temple.

*in another realm*

"Where are we?" Kisame asked as he shifted the box in his arms again while looking around for something to tell him where they were.

"The deity realm, don't worry I'm not here to deliver you to Kami" Hyou said as she sensed Kisame's sudden uneasiness before he calmed down. Kisame and Hyou stopped at an extragant decorated door as Hyou used her psychic ability to knock the doorknocker three times. They watched as the door open and a large shadow fall on them that had Kisame's beady eyes growing in shock, surprise, and fear. "Yo, DG, I got them like you asked for" Hyou yelled as the giant looked down at her and Kisame to see two boxes full of star balls she made. "Now I held up my end of the deal, not it's time to do yours" Hyou said looking up as DG lowered down, smiled his sharp teeth smile, opened his mouth, and...

You will have to wait until the next chapter to find out


	14. Be A Clan

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Chapter 12- _"Be a clan, for we are one"_

"Alright Naruto, you on a roll, you got the Kyuubi power under control" Bee rapped as Naruto nodded, fully exhausted at the strain of events from meeting his mother to absorbing the hot chakra of Kyuubi. Naruto changed back into himself as somebody knocked and asked for Bee. Bee went out of the chamber to meet his informant while Naruto sat down to catch his breath.

"I did it...I did it...thank you Kyuubi" Naruto muttered as he felt his heart rate go back to normal and his breathing easier.

"**You welcome Kit...my name is Karuma" **the kitsune said softly as he laid down for a nap.

'_Really...that's cool' _

"**Thanks**" Karuma muttered before he let out a yawn and went to sleep. While inside relaxing, Bee was outside talking to one of the guards about keeping Naruto busy as not to find out about the war and slow down his training a bit.

'_Ironically, he already knows about the war' _Bee thought before he said out loud that he would in which he left saying he knew a way as in to stall time. "Hey Naruto come with me, we going to round up animals you see. They in danger, thanks to shark man, now time to breeze out like a fan."

Naruto sighed as he got up, still tired from all that hard work and slowly made his way to Bee who could see the lack of energy in the blonde.

"**That boy is tough to take on the Kyuubi and still be able to stand to go round up some animals. Although something seemed different about Kyuubi, like he wasn't even trying."**

'_What you mean Hachibi?'_ Bee asked, sitting on the 8 tails nose as they followed Naruto out of the chamber.

"**I mean it's like Kyuubi was holding back a lot of his power when he was attacking the boy. Almost as if he was putting on a show and really just wanted to give him the power."**

'_Why would he do that, I don't know, maybe the 9 tails is getting slow. Maybe the fox is getting weak, or maybe he just needs some sleep.'_

Bee and Hachibi watched as Naruto nearly stumbled out of the room and quickly caught him with a tentacle before the blonde could hit the floor. Asking if he was okay, they realized that he was low on chakra and decided to let him sleep some before rounding up the animals. The rest of the group followed suit and took naps to replenish their chakra before they went and help him with the animal roundup. The next day they all got ready to go help Naruto with the animals by going into groups of two to flesh them out and send them toward Naruto. So Sai and Shin, Kurai and Itachi, and Sasuke and Hinata split into 3 different directions and had done just that before going back to the training room to train (obviously) some more.

"Kurai you okay?" Hinata asked her clone/sister/counterpart (take your pick) as they walked pack, quiet while she seemed to be lost in thought.

'_Kurai?'_

'_Is something wrong with Kurai?' _Itachi asked in Hinata's mind in which she answered back no and that she was deep in thought. She mentally saw Itachi nod and withdraw as Hinata sighed and wondered how to get some privacy to talk to Kurai.

"Maybe JT and Maru know" Hinata muttered as she went to go look for the fighting pair that she realized that she hadn't seen for a while. "They did help us roundup the animals...didn't they?" Hinata wondered out loud as she walked down the hall toward JT and Maru's room. Hinata found the crazy duo covered in burns, claw marks, clothes soaked and dirty but happy smiles on their faces while a sweat drop formed on Hinata's head.

"Hey Hinata, where you looking for us?" JT said as smiled at the quiet kunoichi who nodded and asked her how to ask Kurai a private question mentally so the others won't here. "Oh that's easy, just imagine a barrier around when you're talking with Kurai or whoever you want to."

"Okay, thank you JT" Hinata said as she walked away while JT and Maru went to their rooms to change before meeting up with the group again. Hinata returned to the training room and saw Kurai still lost in thought while the boys did some light sparring as they waited for them. _'Kurai' _Hinata thought as she made a barrier just around them two while she heard Kurai mutter about what should she do in her mind. '_KURAI'_ Hinata mentally shouted making the girl jump and look up at Hinata who had a concerned look on her face.

'_Oh hey Hinata, sorry I have a lot on my mind' _Kurai sai smiling a little as she motioned for Hinata to sit beside her.

'_I noticed, in fact everybody noticed. Is something the matter?'_

'_...Itachi confessed his love to me when we went to round up the animals' _Kurai said softly while Hinata squealed and gave her hug but realized Kurai didn't sound as happy as she should. _'I want to tell him too but I don't know if I will have a physical body for long and I can't put him through another girl leaving him. It was bad enough his first love died because of the Uchiha's attempt on overtaking Konoha but to have a girl say they love you and leave you in such a short period. I can't hurt him like that.'_

'_It's okay Kurai, we will find the starball and you will live to be with Itachi-san'_ Hinata said confidently, making Kurai smile as she nodded and got up before helping Hinata up and going back over to the boys to finish training.

"Alright let's go to some serious training" Kurai stated, a fist in the air, which made everybody smile as they agreed and got back to sparring against each other. Later that night while everybody was relaxing, Hinata snuck into Naruto's room to have a face to face chat with him about all that had happened.

"Wow sounds like everybody is training hard for the upcoming war, in fact, we should all train together so we can back up each other in the war" Naruto said as Hinata smiled, thinking it was a good idea as he told her of his experience with Kyuubi and meeting his mother.

"Really, that's so nice that you got to meet your mother Naruto-kun" Hinata said happy for him before she told him of her own experience when she met a black vixen in her dreams.

"What does it mean Hina-tenshi?" Naruto asked as Hinata sighed and said she didn't know before she yawned, the sparring and mental talking taking a lot out of her. "Go to bed Hinata, I'll talk with you tomorrow" Naruto said as Hinata nodded and disappeared back to her room. The next morning as the clan was training in the 2nd chamber of the Tailed Beast Temple they were excited to see Naruto and Bee join them saying they would train all together. They spent a few minutes catching up on all they learned before Bee rallied them up by saying they need to train in their hanyo forms this time.

"Alright let's go clan" Naruto said as he changed into his new Kyuubi chakra form while the others paired up. They then showed Naruto all they had learned before they he got an idea. "Hey Bee is it possible for them to create a form like mine?" Naruto asked but frowned when Bee said that not anybody could make a form like his.

"But we can come close to it" Kurai stated as she showed them her gentle fist of the kitsune which changed to a more feline form with two tails. After they tried it, but not really getting anywhere with it except Hinata and Kurai, they called it quits and said it was easier in their hanyo form. After that waste of time they went back to training as Bee brought out a scroll with multiple swords and started teaching Sai and Shin how to use different swords.

"Hey how could you start the sparring without us" they heard JT said while Maru grumbled that it was her fault they were late which would have started another argument but was quickly broken up by Bee as he asked what they were doing. "Huh, what you mean?" JT asked as Maru sighed and mumbled about a _baka_ neko.

"Why is your memory so short?" Maru growled before he looked at them and said they had a message from Hyou about how to further help each other. "She said that Inari-sama has made it where you can combine one of your main elements with another person through the necklaces but the downfall is that you can only combine with one person at a time and that it has to be part of their chakra element but you can combine two elements and send to another person who isn't using their chakra."

"And from the confused looks on your faces, you didn't understand a word Maru just said" JT said snickering at the looks on the groups face as Maru frowned and sighed saying it was hard to explain. "Well then be smart and show them in example dolt" JT said lightly knocking him on the head, making him growl at the grinning cat.

"Fine" Maru said as he stood next to JT who grinned. "Okay so which one you want to show them?" Maru grumbled frowning at the grinning neko who said she didn't know making all of them fall anime style. "Why am I paired up with such a baka?" Maru whined as he stood back up and said he would choose.

"Oh wait, hey Itachi remember when both of us was teaching you boil style but each of us only had one element? That's what he means, we use something in our case, our connection to Hyou to combine our elements into each other and use boil style. Now do you understand?" JT asked and was smirking when he smiled and the group said they understood now. "Alright let's try it, since everybody has at least a different chakra nature this will make it even more fun since the possibilities are great, so let's try it out."

They started with Kurai, whose main element was earth, and chose to combine her attacks with Sasuke, who chose lightning, and Itachi, who choose fire to balance things out. First up was Kurai and Sasuke with earth and lightning chakra. By combining their elements they learned to use steel which Sasuke used strengthen his katana and soon sent it through Sai and Shin to sharpen their weapons. JT warned them that it was difficult and would be straining to combine chakra and send to other people and told them to be careful.

"You wasn't kidding, that was both physically and mentally exhausting" Kurai gasped as she and Sasuke ended their training as they learned to repeal minor weapons thrown at them along with strengthen the teams.

"It's okay, it's easier with your mate because you seen as one" Maru said from the wall as he and the rest of the team watched in awe at the new styles they were learning. Maru was proven right when Itachi and Kurai created a powerful lava style that had many of them pull out shades due to the brightness and heat of the lava pillars they had just made. Kurai decided she would combine her abilities with the Uchiha boys and left Hinata to combine with Naruto who wasn't complaining one bit obviously. Their ice ability had taken on an interesting form as it seemed fluid like fire but was frozen, even at times it would look like fire was sealed inside the ice, giving it a crystal like look.

"Wow, that cool. I guess it has something to do with you two being so close" JT said eyes shining as she stared at the crystal, at least that what she was calling it, form.

'_They're powerful is reacting in sync with each other almost as they are already as one. She must really love them two and ready to give her blessing, I'm happy to have lived such a long life' _Karuma (Kyuubi) said as he laid back down and went to sleep, feeling as old as he was.

"Alright I see what you can do alone, now show me together how much you grown. Try an attack all together now, and show me with a good pow." Bee rapped as he watched them nodded and talk for a second before they got into a position and fueled chakra to both Hinata and Naruto who started to combine an attack. "Alright this will be our ultimate attack" Naruto said as Bee watched in shock at the new jutsu they just created. 'This clan is the most powerful I ever seen, they will leave the others green with envy' Bee thought as he watched the groups attack coming toward him before it dispersed before meeting him, making him fly back and hit the wall. _'Oh yea that powerful'_ Bee thought before falling unconscious as the rest silver fox clan ran to his side and asked if he was okay.

*week later*

"We have to go and join the war now Naruto-kun, please be careful and stay here to get strong" Hinata said as Naruto nodded and gave her a kiss before she made her way over to JT and Maru.

"Okay we got fake papers on Shin, Itachi, and Sasuke and here are the new headbands and you're from the crescent country if anybody asked" Maru said as he handed out the headbands, which everybody put on before looking at Naruto. Naruto smiled with love for his clan as he waved at them before JT and Maru used their pack teleportation to take them to the battle field while he turned back to Bee.

"Alright, I'm ready for some more training" Naruto said, determination heard in his voice as Bee smiled and said yea before they went back to the temple and trained some more, Naruto having a plan of his own.

*the next day*

All the members of the silver fox clan, although separated were still in contact with each other as they did their part in the war. Many were surprised as they saw some familiar people being resurrected and wondered how that was possible. _'Wait, but Asuma sensei was revived so how is here?' _Hinata thought as she watched team 10 battle the person who looked like their sensei but in truth wasn't their sensei."

'_You noticed it too Hinata? People who are alive yet are still thought to be dead and fighting now in front of you?' _Sai mentally told her from his position as he faced his "brother" Shin on the field when the real Shin wasn't too far from where he was battling.

'_Yes but what does this mean? I'll ask JT or Maru about this' _Hinata told him before focused on finding JT and was happy when she was met with a meow without too much strain on her mind. 'JT how is it possible for those who were brought back to be in front of us and fighting'

'_Oh yea, when a person is resurrected, traces of their spirit is left behind for other spiritless souls to take so they can have a chance to be resurrected. However when they take the traces of spirit they also take on the personality of that person so if Asuma was resurrected that means a soul ate the remains of Asuma's spirit and was brought back by whatever technique used.'_

'_Okay I understand (I think)' _Hinata thought before she thanked JT and went back to the task at hand while she mentally told Sai who said he understood before wishing her good luck. _'You too' _she thought before she saw the first wave of enemy approach and got ready for a grueling battle. All of the silver fox clan members spent the rest of the day battling, resting, scouting, healing, and everything else they were ordered to do until the sun had set and the enemy retreated for a second round. Early next morning, the news passed through the clan that Kurai and Itachi had gone to 'set some plan in motion' and would return later. As they continued to fight they got some more news, this time about Naruto, from Shin who got it from Maru who was closer to the base.

'_I just received word that Naruto is on his way to join the war.'_

'_I knew dobe was too stubborn to stay in one place, even if its good for him.'_

'_Well you know that he would rather fight this war than let others die for him when they never done it before' _Temari said as she had learned about their mental talking abilities.

'_It's because he fights for those he would protect no matter the situation looks grim or not' _Gaara added before he burrowed his enemies under sand as Temari blew away weapons thrown at them.

"Good because we need a way to turn this battle around" Kankuro grumbled beside his siblings as he moved another unconscious body to the side to be treated.

Later that morning, the silver fox clan was surprised to be summoned to the main base for a new position. What really surprised them that it was every member of the clan, Hinata, Sasuke, Sai, Shin, Temari, Kankuro and Gaara) so they knew it wasn't a coincidence.

"100 yen that JT and Maru behind this" Kankuro said joking as the clan met up again and exchanged what they been doing before they were ushered into the room to see Shikaku, Shikamaru's father.

"You have been chosen specifically to create a division that will stay close to Naruto...and Bee to help, I mean _protect _them in battle for the rest of the war."

The clan bit their cheek from laughing as they figured out what was wrong with Shikaku as he gave them his orders. After they accepted their new position, they were met with their leaders who bore a _strong resemblance _to Kurai and Itachi and was the location to where they were to meet up with Bee and Naruto. As they were about to leave, Hinata spoke up and asked what their division name was in which everybody in the clan saw Shikaku wink and said with a grin that seemed doggish in nature, "Silver Fox Clan" division. With a grin of their own, they nodded and quickly made their way out of the base and toward the dire location.

"So that is where you guys disappeared off to" Hinata said as Kurai laughed saying it was JT and Maru's idea.

"Let's get a move on, we far enough away from the base and any other people" Kurai said as she and the rest of the clan took off faster than they let on back to their positions. "Now when we give you the signal, we are to meet Naruto at the designated spot. All the team leaders know of this and will understand when you suddenly leave so let's go out there and show them what we made of" Kurai said

fist in the air as the group yelled yes in unison before heading back to their post. Back in the base, one of the other commanders asked Shikaku if it was a wise choice to pull those specific people to protect the biju.

"Yes I am very sure for I have great confidence in their abilities. In fact I'm sure will agree soon. "

'_Oh man, I'm going to have to wrap this up because I can't control him much longer. His mental state is incredible'_ Maru thought as Shikaku's hand came to his head, a large headache starting.

"Now then, please come in. Gentlemen, I would like you to meet my subordinate Josei Tora. She will explain the significance of those members being together" Shikaku said rubbing his head even more as he quickly made his way out of the room.

"Hi" JT said, eyes glowing their strange color as she placed everybody under her hypnotic spell while Maru came back in with an unconscious Shikaku.

"Good you're done, now let's get out of here" JT said as Maru placed Shikaku back in place before they disappeared. As the afternoon came around and the fighting slowed, each clan member was surprised to see a silver fox beckon to them, saying it was time. Nodding to the foxes, each team leader, and Gaara, bid their division a good fight before they hightailed it to the stream in the woods where Naruto and Bee were waiting for them.

"Alright, everybody accounted for" Naruto said, adrenaline rushing through his body as the group nodded and had a quick roll call to make sure everybody was there.

"Naruto here."

"Hinata here."

"Yo Kurai here."

"Itachi here."

"Gaara here."

"Temari here."

"Kankuro here."

"Sasuke here."

"Sai here."

"Shin here."

"Bee's the name, I'm here the same. Yeah."

"JT and Maru here too."

The dimension duo appeared out of nowhere, grinning as they held something in their hands." "Now something is wrong with this picture? Now what is missing?" JT said if pondering while Maru rolled his eyes and said to get a move on, making JT pout as she pulled out their clan clothes. The SFC smiled before they changed into their hanyo forms and quickly changed into their clan clothes before meeting up again. "You all look great, now so that Madara knows who he is messing with, who are you and scream it loud?" JT yelled, Maru placing cotton in his ears as the clan smiled and yelled out.

"We are the silver fox clan, we'll be together until the end" they roared before they let out animal cries that could heard all the way to the battle field and on the enemy side of the war where Hyou was currently at.

"Looks like the show is about to start, aw, we're going to be a little late" Kisame said with a sharp tooth grin as a blonde chuckled next to him before looking at a shorter redhead.

"You okay with being a little late Sasori no danna?" Deidara asked the redheaded puppet who snorted and said as long as he didn't have to wait.

"I'm the one who hates to be kept waiting brat."

"When we do show up, we'll show up in style" Jiraiya said doing his signature pose making everybody sweat drop while Hyou chuckled and say they would enter in fashionably late as she turned to the two newcomers.

"You haven't changed a bit Jiraiya" a voice said as Jiraiya turned, a large smile on his face as he said nope.

"We don't mind being late as long as we get to see Naruto again, 'ttebane."

Hyou smiled at the excited couple as the tiger they were riding on slowed down to a brisk walk as they spotted their target. "Yea, but first we need to pick up a few friends from the enemy" Hyou said softly as she turned to look at Kabuto who still wasn't aware of their presence as he worked on his game plan.

"Think you can take him out quickly?"

The male newcomer chuckled as he held something in his hand. " I didn't get my nickname for nothing" he said before he disappeared from view and toward and unsuspecting Kabuto. Kabuto turned around as he sensed something in time to see something that made his eyes go wide in fear.

"Impossible...YOU'RE DEAD!" Kabuto cried out as he backed away from the approaching male who created an attack in his hand.

" No, I'm very much alive" the figure said as he drove his attack straight into Kabuto's stomach making him fly back and drop Anko and Yamato who was being used for experiments. Hyou quickly sealed the knocked out Kabuto chakra before summoning a tiger to take him to base while Jiraiya and Kisame picked up the unconscious duo before throwing them over the back of the tiger.

"Alright, now off to see Naruto and the biggest battle the nations have ever seen" Hyou stated as the tiger let out a roar and ran off faster than before, Hyou using swift style to arrive in time for the big finale.

"What was that?" Kiba cried out as he, Akamaru, Neji, and everybody else on the field stopped and paid attention to the cry heard around the battlefield.

'I bet that came from Naruto and the others but why did it sound so animalistic and how did it carry? Did she...unlock it?' Neji thought before he heard Akamaru howling and looked at the large white dog who kept howling in anger.

"Huh, what's wrong Akamaru?" Kiba asked as Akamaru stopped howling, his tail wagging as he barked at Kiba who was confused. "What do you mean our troubles our over? There are several powerful beings on their way toward us?" Kiba translated as Akamaru barked while Neji noticed something else. The dead, controlled by the edo tenshi, were not coming back and the Zetsu seemed to be retreating back into the ground.

"What is happening?" Neji muttered as he activated his byakugan and saw that it was happening far away too which had some people celebrating, some fearing for the worse. The later was soon felt by everybody as the nations watched Madara arrive with his biju sealing monster approaching the base as everybody was ordered to file back to protect the headquarters and fight something major.

"How are we going to fight against that thing?" Kiba cried out as he, Neji, and the rest of the Konoha 11 met up.

"The only thing that can defeat something that big would have to be another monster" Ino muttered as she looked at Chouji who was breathing hard from all his hard work in the war.

"...I don't think it's meant for us to battle" Shino said, a bug on his finger as the group heard the loud buzzing of his insects.

"What you do mean and where are the others?" Tenten asked as she looked around while Sakura raised a brow at Neji slight smirk, his byakugan activated.

"Alright Neji, what do you know that we don't?" Sakura said, making everybody look at the smirking Hyuuga who turned to look at something in the distance.

"Just that this war is about to become more interesting once they arrive" Neji said deactivating his byakugan while Shikamaru stared at him wondering what he mean.

"What do you mean by 'they'?" Shikamaru asked until they all sensed the large amount of chakra that had everybody turning to see what was coming. Behind them (they're facing away from the monster) they heard Madara laugh as his voice seemed to echo over the battle field.

"It's about time you showed up 8 and 9 tail vessels" Madara voice roared which had everybody, who hadn't already, turn to see Bee and Naruto, in his new Kyuubi chakra form, standing above them on top of a hill overlooking the battle field. "You saved me the trouble of finding you myself" Madara voice roared as he gave a chuckle when the rest of the clan showed up. "I see you bought friends to back you up" Madara said child-like until everybody could fell his smirk change to a frown as he noticed something about the group with him.

"What the, why is Hinata, Sai, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, and Kurai up there? Wait, is that..." Sakura wondered her eyes growing wide as she noticed a shorter brunette standing next to Naruto, a smirk on his face.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" Madara roared making a lot of the people gasp and a couple like Sakura and Ino start crying as they looked up at the Uchiha who seemed to be on their side.

"Doing what's right" Sasuke yelled back, making the Konoha 11 rejoice as they heard Madara growled out traitor and roar that drowned everybody out.

"What about all your brother sacrificed? What about avenging your brother?" he asked before a chuckle rang out that actually sent a chill down Madara's spine as the figure next to Sasuke walked forward.

"You don't have to worry about that? There's no need avenging someone who's not dead" a voice said making a loud gasp go around the field as Itachi walked forward, a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"You should be dead, I took you're eyes...YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!"

"Obviously I'm not and I was dead but I was brought back thanks to an old friend of yours."

"Impossible."

"Quite possible" Itachi said with a smirk that was shared with the biju clan as Madara growled animal like that had everybody looking at him in shock. Everybody could feel the change in the masked Uchiha as he turned his attention to Naruto and spoke out, voice loud with anger.

"You think your tough-" Madara growled loudly, everybody watched as Madara started changing, his shape becoming something less human.

"Just because you have friends-"

Madara growing fur.

"You're still not strong enough to defeat ME!"

Madara on all fours.

"You know why..."

Clothes start to rip, show patches of fur.

"Because you're not Minato and you will never be your father!" Madara roared as his mask fell off and everybody noticed a sharingan in one eye and the cat eye similar to Maru, JT, and Hyou.

"What the fuck is that?" Kiba yelled out as Akamaru yelped and hid behind Kiba, barking about the scent of Madara which smelled like a large cat.

"So he's going into his animal form is he?" Maru said, eyeing Madara and thinking about how much he would love to tear his fur out, patch by patch.

Madara laughed manically as a gasp went around the field as everybody heard of Madara's outburst of the person they were protecting being the son of the 4th Hokage. The field went quiet except for Madara's echo laughter as they turned to see what Naruto would do or say.

"You're right...I'm not my father" Naruto said calmly looking out at Madara. "But I don't have to be you know why. I'll tell you, I'm Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto, soon to be the Orange Hokage of Konoha."

There was a loud cheer from down below as everybody cheered Naruto and the others on as Madara let out a mighty roar before he fully changed into a large lion with a black mane. "Not if you're DEAD" he roared as he jumped down from on top of the monster and moving faster than even the sharingan could see straight for Naruto. With a large claw-clad paw outstretched, Madara was about to strike when a special kunai appeared out of nowhere and forced him back down, now standing on top of the HQ. Madara let out a growl which was answered with another lower but not any less terrifying growl back as Hyou and the rest of the group appeared.

"You're late Hyou" Maru and JT said at the same time, not taking their eyes off of Madara who was snarling at them. Hyou smiled at the two and said she had an good excuse for why she was late.

"I got into a shouting match with a white-haired, purple skinned deity who was trying to go back on his deal. However he forgot that I was friends with his wife, the goddess of mercy, and gave in...mostly because he didn't want to give up his sex-life."

"Damn, you play a hard bargain Hyou" JT said snickering as Maru shook his head at their words while the rest of the clan looked at them, wondering what they were talking about.

"Sad that you have to resort to blackmailing to get your way Hyou, although since you got no other talent that works best."

"Well I'm sorry that I'm a smart woman who relies on brains than fake intimation to get my way."

"Heh, you're nothing but a weak tiger cub who can't even claim her own birthright in a simple human's saying.

(A/N: King of the jungle: lions don't even live in jungles, tigers do)

"At least I'm not some lazy ass cat who is pussy whipped by a female where you have to wait for her to bring down your food before you can eat."

"BURN" Kurai and JT said at the same time as Madara let out a roar of anger as Hyou smiled and turned toward Naruto, a large smile on her face.

"Are you ready for your surprise Naruto? I have to give up two whole boxes of star balls to bring them back so I hope you enjoy" Hyou said as she turned to look at Madara who had a look of fear on his face.

"You didn't...you're messing with the fates" Madara growled as Hyou snarled back, saying he started to whole thing and that she at least got permission before she did the things she did.

"Who?" Naruto asked as Hyou smiled and moved out of the way to show two people who approached Naruto, tears streaming down their face.

"Sorry we couldn't spend more time with you Naruto."

Naruto slowly turned, the others gasped as they recognized the newcomers.

"We plan to make up for it this time."

Naruto eyes started to water.

"Now that we've been given a second change we don't want to miss this opportunity with you 'ttebane."

The tears Naruto felt slid down his face.

"But first we need to defeat Madara and this war together...son"

Naruto let a sniff as he ran to the two newcomers and gave them hugs, Jiraiya standing near by with a smile on his face at the reunion.

"Mom...Dad" Naruto cried as he hugged Minato and Kushina, his parents, who Hyou had made a deal with Shinigami (Reaper) in bringing back for a price of star balls...and part of her life force.

"Nani, it can't be?" That's Kushina and Minato...Jiraiya too...back alive...but how?" Tsunade cried as talk went around the field at the sight of two of Konoha's greatest nin standing before them.

"That's right folks, Konoha's Red-Hot Habanero and Yellow Flash has come to help lead the nations to victory 'ttebane" Kushina said loud and excited as the nations cheered in happiness while many of the Konoha nin started to cry from joy and shock. A loud roar that seemed to shake the very earth itself was heard as everybody turned their attention back to Madara who had changed to his hanyo form.

"I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED AGAIN!" he roared as he jumped back to his monster, making hand seals along the way while Hyou cursed and ushered Minato and Kushina back.

"Get read SFC because he is about to warp you to a different dimension" Hyou cried out as she, JT, and Maru moved the group, excluding clan members, down the hill and out of range as Madara finished hand seals.

"Deity Style: Time-Space Jump Dimension" he yelled before a gaping black hole appeared in the sky above him, the monster, and the clan before a vacuum like suction pulled them into the hole as Madara and the monster soon followed, laughing all the way. Hyou turned to JT and Maru with instructions on helping Naruto and the clan which they did by running back of the hill and into the now growing smaller hole.

"You help them finish the war, we will help keep Naruto safe, I promise" Hyou said to Minato and Kushina as they nodded and she ran to join the rest as the hole closed tightly right after she had entered.

"Alright Minato...you ready to show them why we earned our nicknames" Kushina said, power radiating from here as Minato nodded, his special kunai in his hand as he smirked and said "let's go" before he disappeared in a flash Kushina soon after when he summoned her.

*in another dimension*

The silver fox clan, JT, Maru, and Hyou had just landed in the middle of a plains that looked like green grass was finally growing back after years of abuse. "Where are we?" Sasuke asked as he looked around at the quiet, life-growing place before he heard a sniff and turned to see JT and Maru looking down while Hyou had a soft sad smile.

"This is...our old home. At least its going to be able to hold life again. Right now we're near the sage of the 6 path's tomb."

"Wha-" Hinata started to say until she saw Hyou's eyes go slit and she snarled looking around, taking in her surroundings.

"Be on alert, Madara is around here somewhere" Hyou said, looking around making everybody go tense as they took in their the world around them until they heard a growling sound. Before they could pinpoint it, Hyou was suddenly attacked by two lions that appeared out of nowhere before she threw them off and changed into tiger to battle them. After battling the two big cats, several more appeared and started to give her a hard time which made JT change and help battle with Hyou. Maru noticed that JT was having a hard time fighting against the tigers so he swallowed his pride and changed into a orange tiger little bigger than JT and attacked the lions that was keeping JT down as Madara's voice taunted him from around.

"Aw, look at the pretty little kitty Maru. I bet you miss being a big dog and your puppies too."

Maru growled but continued to fight off the lions until JT was free and then went to help Hyou.

"You should have seen the looks on their faces as I told them how you abandoned them, oh the looks of sorrow. I never seen such a loyal animal look so hurt, especially as they howled their loneliness into the sky."

"Stop lying Madara, wolves are smarter than that. They had the strongest bond I've ever seen with Maru and know good and well that Maru would never have abandoned them" JT said in her human form, covered in vicious bite marks and bleeding but standing tall as Maru stared up at his friend who he disregarded so many times.

"Aw, the little kitten hissed at me, now what are you three little kitties going to do" Madara said appearing in front of the group as Hyou finished off the rest of the lions. Madara frowned when noticed JT and Hyou smirked before JT grabbed something from one of her pockets and tossed it at Maru who caught it with one hand.

"You mean two tigers and a big bad wolf" JT said as Maru looked at what was in his hand and gasped out loud. "These...these are the Inuzuku military pills. How did you get your hands on them and what am I supposed to do with them?" Maru asked as JT rolled her eyes and yelled for him to eat one. An eyebrow raised, Maru quickly flicked one of the small pills into his mouth and bit down, ignoring the bitter taste as he felt his chakra surge. "Now what is supposed to...arg" Maru suddenly cried out as he felt his body rack with pain before his features started to change from feline to lupine.

"There now you look like your old self" JT said smiling as Maru gave her a wolf smirk before he howled his joy into the sky as the clan changed back into their hanyo forms as they stared at Madara.

"It's time to end this Madara" Hyou said as they all got into fighting positions while Madara laughed as he made hand signs that Hyou soon followed.

"It should've been over...with your death" he yelled as he and Hyou both brought their hands down to the ground at the same time and said, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu". Right in front of everybody were two of the strangest mythical summoning creatures they had ever seen, Madara had summoned the gryphon boss while Hyou had summoned a creature with the arm and upper body of a hawk, lower body and legs of a tiger, and the wings and tail of a dragon, a chimera. Each summoner was currently on the head of their summoning floating high above their heads.

"Alright, we're taking this battle to the skies and by the end the day the world will be mine."

"Silver Fox Clan, you care of the statue while I take care of Madara, be safe and JT, Maru back them up" Hyou said as both summoning let out battle cries as they fly higher in the air as not to disturb the battle below.

"Right" the clan said until they heard JT and Maru snarling and turned to see more lions coming after them. "But first we need to take care of these mangy cats" Naruto said as they all got into fighting position when the first lion pounced.


	15. Fighting Dreamers

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Chapter 13- _"Fighting Dreamers"_

Me: *list and pencil* chair and whip, check, large saucer of milk, check, 50 pounds of cat nip...check

Kankuro: What are you doing?

Me: getting ready for the big kitty battle...don't come too close

Kankuro: You're deranged you know that and why shouldn't I come any closer (walks closer)

Me: *panicking* No, don't come closer

Kankuro: Why what's going to happen- (smells catnip, eyes become unfocused) Caaattttnnniippp

Me: *running away with supplies, chased by Kankuro for catnip*

"Oh no you don't" JT cried as she changed back into a tiger and launched herself at the lion that was trying to attack Naruto. Maru howled before he got down on all four and using Kiba's _Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu _charged at another lion, wounding it before it disappeared back to its realm. Seeing that they was still out numbered JT turned to the clan.

"You know we could use some help from your summonings now" JT said as she slashed at another lion who bit into her leg. Nodding they silver fox clan brought their hands down and summoned all their personal summonings that instantly changed size and went to attack the lions around. Feeling the ground shake they looked up in time to avoid a foot belonging to the statue who was ordered by Madara to crush them.

"This is becoming too difficult" Sasuke growled as he was about to take out a lion but had to dodge the creatures foot, thus giving the lion time to attack him before he was saved by Itachi. "They're too many of them for us to focus our full attention on the statue" Sasuke yelled up, hoping that Hyou would hear them and help out some kind of way. Thankfully she did as she summoned her own personal feline scroll and tossed it down to JT who, after jumping off a lion's back caught it in mid-air.

"Got it, Maru come help me real quick" JT yelled as she unraveled the large scroll and grabbed a kunai to slice all 10 of her fingers while Maru made his way over to her, stopping some of the felines from attacking JT. "Thanks, now...Kuchiyose no Jutsu" she cried and they all heard loud roaring before wild cats of every kind (except lions) charged out of the scroll and began to give the lions a serious battle as Maru helped JT up and warped back to the clan.

"The lions are taken care of, now let's spend our time on the statue" Maru said as he slowly lifted JT off his shoulder, who said she was fine. The clan nodded and began to run toward the statue, avoiding its footsteps, as they ran passed it to lure it away from the battling animals. Turning around they instantly went on the offensive before the creature had time to get used to the change.

"_Ninja Art: Super Beasts Scroll" _Sai muttered before he created the "Benevolent Kings" that went to attack the statue while Shin threw a giant shuriken from off his back near the beast's head.

"_Summoning: Blade Dance"_ Temari cried after wiping blood on her fan and swinging it to summon Kamatachi (Sickle) and a large gust of wind that hit the statue after Sai's paintings attack.

"_Poison Mist Inferno: Consecutive Needle Combo" _Kankuro yelled as he brought out his puppets, crow and black ant to launch the attack. The beast started screaming at this point and was trying to stomp them but soon found it feet caught by Gaara who was using the earth below them to battle before he used the sand in his gourd to attack.

"_Sand Shower Barrage" _Gaara said as he aimed his attacks up high which made the creature scream in anger as it tried to escape but to no such luck.

"_Lightning Release: Black Panther" _Bee said as he used his brother's jutsu, which he learned without his brother knowing and attacked the statue that was soon slightly paralyzed as it wasn't moving as fast as before.

"_Storm Style: Laser Circus" _JT cried as her attacks cam close to damaging one of its eyes which caused the creature to roar and smash the ground, causing a shockwave.

"When you learn that?" Maru asked as JT smiled and said from Darui at the Kage summit which made him chuckle as he faced the statue. "You're not the only one who learned something at the summit" Maru smirked as he created hand seals that JT recognized.

"_Lava Style: Lava Monster Jutsu"_

"Been paying much attention to the Mizukage hmm?" JT said with a brow raised as Maru ignored her and focused on spreading the lava onto the monster who cried out in pain.

"Alright my turn" Kurai said as she brought her hands down to the ground and growled, the tips of her tails bursting into flames.

"_Flower–Fruit Mountain" _Kurai cried as they watched as the molten lava surged up and came to the creatures waist, pinning his arms which was soon hardened by Hinata's quick thinking as she created a large wave of water from her mouth that rushed over the hot lava and cooled it down, sealing the monster in place before her next attack.

"_Shattering Ice Spear" _Hinata cried as they watched ice spears appear around the creature before extending and striking it in the side where they heard it roar before it started to struggle. Sasuke, Itachi, and Naruto in sage mode (fueling natural chakra while others attack) attacked at the same time as they heard the breaking of the cooled lava.

"_Fire Style: Great Dragon Flame Jutsu"_

"_Vapor (boil) Style: Solid Fog Jutsu"_

"_Wind Style: Rasenshuriken"_

The group backed up as the attacks ripped from their owners and attacked the statue that let out one last wail before going quiet as dust and smoke bellowed around it. Bee expressed his joy in a rap which made them smile as they waited to see the condition the statue was in.

"That should have done it" JT said grinning until the smoked cleared and they look in shock at the monster...that wasn't there. "What the-where did it go?" JT said as she looked around while Hinata quickly used her byakugan but couldn't find it. "It has to be around here some-DODGE TO THE SIDES" JT suddenly cried as she forced her psychic powers throughout her body and pushed them away just as she jumped in time from being crushed by the statue that suddenly appeared above their heads.

"JT you okay, where did it come from?" Maru said as he ran over to the coughing cat who nodded before growling and looking up at the sky where Hyou and Madara was still battling.

"Yea I'm fine but I know what happened to the statue. Madara summoned it to a different dimension just before those last three attacks could hit then re-summon it just above our heads. Hyou told me before we became hanyo pancakes" JT grumbled as she stood up and looked around the rest of the clan who was thankfully all safe. "What is thing made of?" JT grumbled as she noticed that few of the attacks actually left marks as they put some distant between them and the statue monster. The creature let out a loud roar before it opened its mouth where something inside started to glow while 7 of the 10 fingers emitted chakra strings.

"Does the chakra strings remind you of...leashes?" Kurai asked out loud as the group nodded before getting into another fighting position as 7 lights shot out of the demon statue's mouth to take the shape of the 7 captured tailed beast.

"Great, looks like we're going to have to get through them first before we can tackle the statue" Kankuro said as he put up his two puppets and summoned his new fox puppet from Inari.

"Seems so" Temari said as she switched to her new fan while Sai brought out is ink and scroll, already drawing a fire bird that he sent toward the machine itself but was brought down by one of Nibi's tails.

"Now is not the time to sit back and watch, come on Naruto it's time to kick it up a notch" Bee rapped as he went into his 8 tails form while the blonde nodded and went into his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.

"Alright let's go" Naruto said as he and Bee ran forward, the rest of the group right behind as they sent attack after attack trying to get close enough to attack the statue but was held at bay multiple times by the other biju's attacks.

"This isn't getting us anywhere" Sasuke yelled to Naruto who nodded and told them to fall back a bit as he created a _Mini-Rasenshuriken _that he sent toward one of the biju. "That's tiny" Sasuke muttered as Itachi slammed a hand over Kurai's mouth because he knew she was going to say something wrong about Sasuke's words .

"Yea just like-"

"Don't you say it Sai" Naruto growled, sending a warning look to the smiling artist while everybody around looked confused except JT, Maru, and Hinata as they watched the tiny ball of destruction aim for the 7 tail rhino beetle that flew out of the way of the attack so that it hit the chakra leash. However that seemed to do the trick as the group watched, stunned, as the chakra leash disappeared and the dragons grabbed the biju, forcing it back into its mouth.

"Instead of attacking the monster or the biju, we need to attack the strings themselves but to do that we need the biju to be focused on something else" Hinata muttered to herself as she looked at how the biju seemed to be focusing straight on them.

"Leave it to us" JT said with a grin as Maru, who was chewing on another Inuzuka military pill, Shin, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari walked forward saving they will be the decoys. Naruto was about to protest but was cut off when they stayed they were doing it no matter what so he sighed, gave in, and told them to be careful. They all split taking on different biju while the others waited for the change to strike the "leashes". Temari and Gaara distracted the Gobi (5) and Rokubi (6), Kankuro and Maru were decoys for Yonbi (Son Gokū/4), and JT and Shin was drawing the Sanbi's (3) attention. Bee, using his tails manage to trap the 6 tails long enough to destroy its leash and jump back before the dragons could get a hold of him as they grabbed the white slug, forced it back into a ball of chakra, and back into the machine's body.

"Yea" Bee yelled as he got into a horn ramming contest with the whale-horse to stall it as Sai sent a lightning bird that flew up and sliced through the chakra as Bee jumped back, grabbing Temari, Gaara, and Sai along the way. Kankuro was on Maru's back (like Kiba be on Akamaru back) and was distracting the 4 tailed ape by shooting earth and needles at it while avoiding blast of fire as Kankuro wasn't fast enough on foot to do it.

"Look out" Hinata cried before she used _"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu" _and doused the lava rocks with the dragon before sending the dragon to wrap around the ape before quickly freezing it as the leash was being taken out by Sasuke's _Chidori Laser Spear. _

"Impressive Hinata, you was able to not only create a water dragon from the water in the air but control it and then freeze with takes perfect chakra control" Itachi said impressed as Hinata, breathing hard slightly, nodded before going back to the battle at hand. JT was busy keeping the turtle busy by using her swift style to confuse it while Shin sent his large chakra-charged shuriken near the turtle's neck but was deflected by one of its tails.

"This...thing...is...stubborn" JT growled between burst of speed as she kept dodging its horn, tails, and sent lightning under its shell when she could. Letting out a roar, the three tailed turtle started to create a mist from its body which made Naruto, Sai, and Hinata tense before they told JT to be careful.

"This is its _Illusionary Mist_" they cried just as the mist coated the area and several of them, JT, Naruto, Bee, Sai, and Kankuro was caught up in the illusion. Kurama and the Hachibi quickly broke Naruto and Bee out of their trance while Sasuke and Itachi went to the do the same with Sai and Kankuro. They all heard a loud cry of pain and torture to see JT still caught up in her illusion which had Hinata running over to the cat to free her. As she had just freed JT from her illusion a tail from the turtle came swinging down and knocked Hinata in the chest, destroying her necklace and almost her neck if JT hadn't soften the blow dramatically with a large compacted sphere of water. Thanking each other, they watched as Kurai use a burst of ghost fire to burn the leash, freeing the turtle who screamed as it was forced back into the statue.

"5 down, 2 to go" Temari said as she looked at Nibi and Shukaku who were both growling, seeming to be unable to talk.

"Guess Madara took that ability from them" Gaara stated as he saw Shukaku glaring at him but not saying anything.

"Alright I'll hand Nibi since I've had experience battling her and you guys can tackle the Shukaku" Bee said serious as turned to look at the fire cat who sent a large fireball their way that he quickly dodged before the rest dodged it too, seeing as it was aimed at them from the start.

"You guys are tired, stay back and help out when you can" Naruto said as he faced the Shukaku who started to send _Wind Style: Air Bullet_ all around forcing the groups back as Naruto sent his own air attacks back at Shukaku. The group watched as Bee and Naruto got further and further away which seemed weird to them as statue wasn't moving . Hearing sounds behind them, they summonings who had finished the lions some time ago returned to them before disappearing as they looked up to Hyou and Madara still battling, both summoning bleeding and wounded. Hinata was the only one paying attention at the time to see why it seemed like they were drifting further away.

"Oh no, Naruto-kun, come back" Hinata screamed which made the others look and notice the distance between the two biju vessels.

"Hinata what is happening, how-"

"The leashes were moving down the fingers to separate them so we can't help them both" Hinata cried as they all watched as the creature opened its mouth and 9 spirit dragons, 5 to the left, 4 to the right, attack Naruto and Bee who was caught up in their battle with the biju. Some in the group cursed when they saw the dragons latch onto Naruto and Bee while 2 dragons absorbed Nibi and Shukaku before returning to absorb Karuma and the Hacibi.

"Naruto-kun, Bee-sama" Hinata cried as the clan watched in shock and horror as their leader and friends was slowly dying, not sure which to go after first. Hyou saw this from her place up top and tried to go down there and help but was blocked by Madara who jumped onto her chimera, slashing at her to keep her busy.

'_Oh please do let it be too late' _Hyou thought as she turned her attention back to Madara before her newly formed dragon tail slammed into his stomach, forcing him back onto his summoning as she snarled, saying to up the battle as she and he changed. While focusing her attention on Madara, she mentally told the biju vessels to be strong as she tried to take Madara down as quickly as she could.

_*inside Naruto's mindscape*_

'_Gah, my body hurts so much, is this what death feels like' _Naruto thought as he looked up at the new cage in front of Kyuubi which was more spacious than his old one. Sighing, he started walking forward through the new gate, seeing as he was going to die he wanted to at least see the Kyuubi one last time. _'Hey Kyuubi, I'm sorry that we have to go like this' _Naruto said as he looked at Kurama who was twitching as his chakra was absorbed, a look of pain and regret(?) on his face.

"**No, we're not going like this, **_**I'm **_**going like this" **Kyuubi said as his body started glowing before a bright white aura came off and morphed into a fox that then jumped straight into Naruto, making him double over as he felt his senses skyrocket and his whole body become light as he looked up at the fox who seemed to have aged.

'_Kurama, what did you do to me?' _Naruto asked as he felt his body pulsing with energy as he sensed things around him in a new way.

"**I'm am leaving you with all my powers for my time is up in this body. Save Bee and the Hachibi from this fate for this is my final sacrifice, I hope Inari has mercy on my soul. At first I didn't like you brat, but after talking to ****her ****, I've been seeing you in a new light. Take care, now go back into the real world and tell the others to save Bee but have Hinata come here." **

Naruto eyes shot open as he sensed the others and mentally told them of Karuma's orders in which they found strange but obeyed anyway as Itachi and Sasuke activated their sharingan and unleashed Susanoo to battle the dragons and back the clan up when one got to close to the others. Hinata went over to Naruto along with Sasuke to battle the dragons as she linked with Naruto was soon disappeared into his mind which made Sasuke curse but sigh as he ran back over to the others to help them seeing as Hinata was in Naruto's mind.

_*in Naruto's mindscape again*_

"Naruto-kun, how did I get here?" Hinata asked as she looked up and gasped at seeing the huge cage with Kyuubi and Naruto inside. Walking carefully, she entered to see the Kyuubi who was looking older with each passing minute.

"**Ah good you're here now I can do this at the same time" **Kurama said before there was a flash and he changed into a human form which surprised the duo. **"Give me your hands, I'm going to need ****your ****help with this" **Kyuubi said out loud which confused them for a second before Hinata felt something inside her give way and a large chakra blast ripped through her body as Kyuubi sent his own surge of chakra out, the two connecting. They watched in shock as two foxes, one red, the other black form from the chakra and ran into them, the red into Naruto and the black into Hinata then vice versa.

'_What's happening?' _they both asked as they felt changes in their body as Kyuubi's voice started to grow softer.

"**I have merged my fox body with yours to unlock your final and true forms" **Kyuubi said as he stood back and watched as the two kitsune changed even more. Naruto's hanyo formed body changed to become taller, more built, and his hair longer down to his neck with red ends and silver tips. His six yellow tails lightened up and split into nine flowing white tails with ears to match and his hands turned paw-like with retractable claws. The biggest surprise was when he felt his eyes change going from their normal blue to blue with a purple ring that separated the red fox eyes as his pupils became slit. Hinata also went through changes as her body grew taller and more curves (if possible) formed as she felt herself become both physically and mentally stronger. Her hair grew longer and twisted itself into braids with beads on the very end as her six ink blue tails turned darker into nine black gorgeous tails that also had beads woven into her fur. Her eyes had also become slit but retained the light lavender color with specks of a darker purple.

"**I have given you all my powers and abilities of a kitsune, Hinata I just unlocked what I left in you some time ago. Naruto, I want to apologize for ruining your life and your chance at having a real family but I hope I can make up at least a little with my life" **Kyuubi said as he started to grow weak and collapsed back into his animal form.

'_Karuma, we'll miss you' _Naruto and Hinata cried, tears running down their face as he gave them a weak smile before Naruto flew up to the seal and ripped it off, setting the Kyuubi free as he howled before disappearing out of the gate and into the monster, Hinata expelling from Naruto's mind at the same time as she grabbed him and dragged him away from the dragons before his soul could be taken.

_*back in real world*_

"Hinata, Naruto" someone called from far behind them as they opened their eyes to see the dragons withdraw within the statue, all its eyes open. Hinata grabbed Naruto and using her new natural speed ran back to the group, completely surprising them until she gasped and they looked at the machine that was starting to glow and morph. Hinata turned to see Bee, weak but alive, the Hachibi still inside him according to her sense of the biju's chakra.

"How is that possible, it didn't absorb the eight tails" Kankuro said with a growl as Gaara frowned and said that it absorbed enough to complete the transformation. The group watched in horror as the statue let our a roar before a aura of doom cloaked the air making them take a step back. Behind them they heard a roar of pain and turned to see that Hyou's chimera finally took down the gryphon as Madara jumped away and ran toward the 10 tails.

"Jūbi, I am the one who made you complete now let me be your jinchūriki" Madara yelled to the Cyclops biju before it roared and turned its back on Madara, picking up a tree and tossing it around with its tail at the clan who jumped back to avoid it. "10 tails, I'm the one who completed you now you must obey me, OBEY ME!" Madara yelled as he used his sharingan to try and control the 10 tails who started roaring and tearing up the ground with his tails as he went on a rampage. "NO!" Madara screamed as he watched his life dream, his way to world domination go around on a rampage.

"It's over Madara, your high gamble risk has finally backfired on you. You can't control the creature and now it's going to be taken care of by the silver fox clan" Hyou said with a smirk until Madara started laughing. Madara turned, an insane look in his eyes as he turned into his hanyo form and ran at her.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL BEFORE YOU CAN DESTROY MY MONSTER!" Madara said as he went crazy and attacked Hyou who jumped back, changed and continued her battle with Madara. Seeing as the 10 tails was busy destroying the land, the Sand siblings moved Bee over to a safer distance as Hinata did the same with Naruto.

"I may be weak but I'm not out" Naruto said as he tried to get up but was pushed back down by Hinata as Sasuke watched over him.

"You saved us dobe, now its our turn to return the favor" Sasuke said with a smirk as the clan turned to look at the creature that was rampaging, wondering how to take it down. From across the way, Hyou had Madara pinned and was quickly going through her memory bank on what to do about the 10 tails.

"Aim for the eye, hit the tomoes and then strike the center, that should destroy the creature" Hyou said as she jumped back in pain, Madara having brought a sickle into her side that was now bleeding. Quickly eating a plasma pill she continued her battle as the clan nodded and got ready to take down the creature. Naruto stood up and said he would help before Gaara used his sand to sit him back down.

"You rest for now, you will need your strength for when we finish him off" Gaara said as Naruto smiled, knowing they could sense it as he nodded.

"Go clan" Naruto said as they let out an animal battle cry before they took off toward the 10 tails, Maru and JT going ahead to draw its attention as the others got ready to attack.

"Attack when you can" Hinata said as they watched the creature turn around and roar at them.

"Right" they agreed as they got ready to battle the most powerful creature they had ever faced.

"Hey Cyclops, keep your ugly ass on us" JT said from below, taunting the thing as they led it further and further away from Bee and Naruto as the group followed on top of trees, waiting for a good shot.

"It's almost like target practice" Shin stated as everybody agreed, seeing their 9 moving "targets" until the biju stopped, getting ready to attack. The sand siblings saw a chance and chose to attack the outer tomoe on the eye as they got ready, Gaara using his sand to crush up the earth and use his ultimate attack.

"_Spear of Shukaku" _Gaara said as he brought up a spear, made from the hardest minerals of the ground, aimed, and threw it at the eye in between the tails that was trying to fend the spear off but got cut instead. There was a roar of pain as the spear hit its mark, making the eye bleed and the monster send its tails at them which they dodge as Temari and Kankuro took their shots. Both summoned their personal animals and using the wind from Temari's fan and Kankuro's puppetry, maneuvered the two creatures as best as he could through the tails until one cut his chakra threads.

"Kuso" Kankuro thought until he watched his leopard sink its claws into the tail and climbed all the way up, trying hard not to fall as it managed to reach the eye at the same time as the weasel and slash at the tomoe, making it bleed some more before they were tossed off when the creature shook its head in pain. The two creatures disappeared back to their world, making Temari and Kankuro relaxed before they jumped back in time to avoid a tail that had crushed the tree they were standing in.

"I'm almost out of chakra" Kankuro growled, breathing hard as Temari said her too and Hinata ordered the Sand siblings to relax with Bee and Naruto in which they said no but would stand down for now.

"3 tomoe down, 6 to go" Maru muttered as he sent a ball of lava at the creature which it swatted with its tail, effectively drawing its attention back to them as it tried to crush them. "Kuso" Maru cried when the foot shook the earth and he tripped just as its other foot was about to step on him but JT manage to use swift style to move him out of the way in time. "Thanks" Maru said as he saw JT nod, breathing really hard before he reached into his back and gave her a military pill which she took with a thanks. Forcing down the bitter pill she felt her chakra increase and got ready for round 2 of decoy as the group waited for the monster to stop moving again.

"Hey you almost squished my friend you sorry excuse for a biju" JT taunted as she ran around its feet, sinking her claws in when she could while Maru tried and keep its tails busy with attacks on one side and away from the clan members. Shin threw his large shuriken but found to his dislike that it merely bounced off the biju's eyes as if it didn't feel a thing.

Wait a second" Kurai said as she whispered to Sasuke and nodded, both fueling earth and lightning chakra through the necklace and to Shin who strengthened two kunai with the chakra as Sai created a large flock of birds. Attaching the kunai to two of the birds, Sai sent them off, creating more birds as they flew, while Sasuke and Kurai kept up the chakra to the kunai. They all watched as many of the ink birds was destroyed with several of the tails but not the ones with the kunai which after much ducking and weaving though the tails managed to reach the eye and barely had time to pierce the tomoe as they were suddenly destroyed. The creature screamed as it clenched its eye, taking a few steps back, before it took a deep breath.

"That's not good" Kurai said as Gaara told them to run as they saw the 10 tails use Shukaku's _Wind Style: Air Bullet _several times in a row, making deep craters all over. They then watched as it created a large fireball that it shot several times, some almost hitting but being stopped by Hinata's water jutsus that took up a lot of chakra. It followed this up with a crushing blow to the ground as they watched as coral grew from its hand and coat the area, forcing them to the trees as not to be impaled on the coral.

"This creature isn't giving us any more opportunities huh?" Sasuke asked as they saw the coral shake and quickly used chakra to propel themselves into the air just as the ground exploded and hot lava flooded from the coral and burned some of the trees. Itachi grew quiet as he noticed something as the creature got ready for its attack.

"The next attack will be based off the whale-horse biju" he muttered which made Sasuke look at his brother before he watched as the creature lowered its head and charged at them making them flee while Hinata used a quick water jutsu to cool the lava down to land on.

"How did you know that?" Sasuke asked Itachi who nodded as if realizing something and mentally connected with the rest of the clan.

'_Since the ten tails is not complete it's having a hard time tapping into its full power so it can only use a different move every time. Each next move depends on the next tailed biju so it's going to use a jutsu based on the slug which uses corrosive gas' _Itachi said quickly as they watched the creature take a deep breathe and use said attack on them making them curse and try and outrun it as the tree around disintegrated instantly.

"_Sandstorm Jutsu" _they heard a voice cry and saw Temari land in front of them and using her giant fan created a super strong gust of wind that managed to push the corrosive gas back along with sand that got into the biju's eye, irritating a bit. "Naruto lent me his chakra now hurry and use this time" Temari said as they looked up to see the creature shaking its head as if trying to knock the sand out of its eye. Seeing the chance, Sasuke summoned a hawk and quickly flew at the creature, dodging the tails as he grabbed his katana and channeling fire chakra through it made a fire spear, similar to Susanoo that was making growl-like sounds as he slash at the eye, sending a wave of fire chakra at a tomoe.

"_Fire Style: Feline Roar" _Sasuke cried out as the fire-based slash hit its marked causing the blood oozing from the eye to bubble which hurt as it thrashed around, a tail hitting the hawk Sasuke was on. Seeing that Sasuke was about to be hit by another tail, Sai quickly created several large birds of every element that flew at him, hoping one would catch the falling Uchiha. One did catch him and it flew him out of danger before flying back, hoping to distract the creature long enough to get another chance but it wasn't having that as it knocked the thing away. The group watched in frustration as the ten tails grew insect like wings from its back which it used to fly high in the air and out of there reach, roaring its anger.

"This is going to be hard" Hinata sighed as they watched the biju fly higher up, staying out of reach and decided to switch to long range attack as it let out a tailed beast sonic roar that had them covering them ears from the pain. _'I guess it can't use any of the Hachibi's moves yet' _Hinata thought into their minds as they ran to avoid the sonic waves that was painful to their sensitive hearing. Sai, having the most sensitive hearing, looked around until he spotted the ground and with quick movement began to stuff his ears full of mud that although unpleasant, helped with the sound. Mentally telling the others, they soon followed, clogging their ears with the wet earth and decided just to talk mentally from then on out.

'_Everybody head to the water NOW!' _JT screamed into their heads, making some flinch but run towards a nearby river as Maru and JT carried Bee and Naruto on their back, using swift style to make up for the heavy weight.

'_What's wrong?'_

'_Kyuubi's attack is next' _Maru said which made them paled as they ran faster to the as they heard the creature cry out before sending a large batch of flames at them which Hinata, JT, and Itachi weakened as much as possible with the water producing steam while Maru and Kurai created an thick earth wall to catch the rest of the flames, heavily draining them. JT unsealed a bag of military pills and handed everybody one before they got back to the problem at hand.

'_Okay so we know that it can only use one attack of one biju at a time and can't go backwards. It can't use Hachibi and just used Kyuubi so it should go back to the Ichibi right?' _Shin asked as they nodded before a groan from behind them made them turn and they saw Naruto and Bee standing up, looking at the beast flying in the air. Naruto's eyes suddenly grew very wide as he cursed and said they needed to get out of there now before he and Bee started running fast, the others soon following. Wondering what was wrong, they turned to look to see the creature had its tails over its mouth and was creating a large ball of chakra that was as big as a planet.

'_We won't be able to outrun that' _Hinata said in horror as they watched as the chakra ball grew smaller before being aimed right at them. "Sasuke" Hinata cried as he nodded and quickly bit his hand as they used a boatload of their chakra to propel themselves about 50 feet in the air when the ball was struck the ground. Before Sasuke could so much as bring his hand down, there was a loud roar and a quick flash of color as they landed on the back of a reptile that used the wind from the explosion to lift itself higher in the air. Looking up, they was surprised to see themselves on a tiger-dragon creature that soon asked if they were alright and realized it was Hyou who had saved them.

"Yes, thanks" they yelled, ears still full of mud which made Hyou chuckle before she flew down and deposited them just as a gryphon came and attacked her, a crazed look in its eye.

"Try and take out the last three tomoe before the next biju ball" Hyou said straining against Madara's claws on her throat before she used her tail to knock him off balance and gain some ground as she took off in the sky again, Madara hot on her tail.

'_Easy for her to say, she can fly' _Kurai muttered as they said they would have to destroy the wings in they wanted a chance. _'Yes but how' _she asked as they looked up at the creature that was looking around, eye bloody from the attacks.

'_We need to move quickly because I think that last attack too a lot out of it since it's not at full power' _Naruto said from beside them as they nodded, still looking up at the creature.

"Drip...drip, drip"

The SFC looked up to see rain falling from the skies from the heating and cooling of air when they was battling against the 10 tails flames.

'_At least the water is cool and refreshing' Temari muttered while Gaara sighed and sealed his sand in a scroll, not needing it to get wet _or it would be useless. _'Now how to take down that creature, the only way to attack it if it we was directly above it or something' _Temari sighed as she looked up, letting the cool water wash over her as she and the rest of the clan thought what to do next. They heard the creature roar and knew their time for thinking was drawing short as they watched the creature look for them as it shot out air bullets all over. While it was shooting out air bullets the group noticed something interesting about its tails as only the first one changed to look like Shukaku's while the rest stayed grayish. The rain started to come down harder as thunder was heard and lightning flashed, the creature roaring its dislike as it flew lower to the ground.

'_It's almost like its afraid of the lightning' _Bee mumbled, not quiet himself yet as the group nodded while Sasuke and Itachi was thinking before they gasped, drawing the others attention.

'_It is...it is afraid of lightning because it didn't absorb the Hachibi, it's weak to lightning' _Itachi stated as he looked at Sasuke who nodded and said they needed to find the highest place in the area in which they looked around and saw several stone pillars next to a mountain which they said would be perfect and started to make their way over to.

"What you got plan?" Naruto asked, the mud cleaned out of everybody's ears as they mad dashed to the pillars as the creature's roar was heard as it spotted them. They turned to see it's second tail turn blue and a large fire ball, weaken by the water, was shot at them that they easily dodged. Reaching the pillars, they watched as the creature made a sound as lightning flashed in the sky again, flying even lower, thus confirming its fear of lightning.

"Haven't you notice that every time the ten tails uses a new biju move another tail changes to match the biju?" Itachi asked as Sasuke ran up the pillar and send electric chakra to his hand, raising it high in the sky, staring at the biju.

"No, but now that you mention" Kankuro said as they all turned to look at the biju who was staring at them, a creepy smile on its face as its third tail started to change. "What's that have to do with what Sasuke is doing?" Kankuro asked as they watched the third tail turn sort of a bluish-grey before the biju opened it mouth.

"The tails state what element it's about to use so Sasuke can prepare for his ultimate jutsu but he needs to aim carefully because he only has one shot" Itachi stated as they watched as water was forming at the biju's mouth.

"One shot? What is this ultimate jutsu?" the group asked as they saw Sasuke and Itachi smirked before they clan watched in shock and awe as lightning struck Sasuke's hand, making the creature flinch, as the lightning shot back up, fueled with chakra and form something in the clouds.

"My ultimate lightning jutsu: _Kirin_" Sasuke said with a smirk as they watched as a dragon-looking creature of lightning roared at the ten tails who screeched in horror as the creature disappeared back into the sky and came back down straight onto the creature as Sasuke brought his hand down. The group watched in happiness as the creature was electrocuted from the rain and water chakra coursing through its body while its wings was destroyed from the lightning as it came crashing down, causing a shockwave that knocked them off their feet.

"We need to hurry while its still down" JT said as she and Maru rounded them up and teleported near the ten tails as the sky was clearing up. "We need to trap it some kind of way" JT said as she watched the thing try and struggle out of the crater it made, body still paralyzed from the attack.

"Leave it to me" Kurai said as the group hopped onto a hawk Sai had drawn as Kurai started to use earthquake rotation, causing a fissure to open up and trap the creature even further. Kurai then sent lava underground that coated the creature, making it roar as Hinata used water to cool, harden, and trap the creature even further. "Alright, I'm running low on chakra so let's get that tomoe" Kurai said breathing heavily as she created a powerful ghost flame before jumping on Sai's hawk and flying down toward the eye, burning another tomoe so that only 2 was left. The creature roared, causing the ink hawk to disperse and them falling back to land on another hawk Sai drew before they landed and watched as 4 of the tails escaped and was trashing around trying to hit them.

The creature's tails almost hit them until Itachi created Susanoo in which he used its shield to block the tails before using the sword to strike another tomoe before he dispelled it, not able to hold on to it much longer. By then the creature was hollering in pain at being close to defeated while they heard a roar in the distance and the monster disappear. Realizing this was Madara's doing they managed to dodge in time just as the creature appeared above them and tried to crush them for the pain they caused it.

"We have to...bind it...some way. Gaara...can use...sand to...trip or something?" JT said breathing hard, the use of swift style affecting her body that was as risk of internal damage if she tried to use swift style again. Nodding, they moved out the way as Gaara used some of his regained energy to snag one of the creature's feet and send it crashing down in front of them, causing the world to shake. He then used a lot more chakra to cover it in sand and constrict it while Bee, wanting to help after recovering so long, went into his 8 tailed form and literally sat on the creature, grabbing its tails and trying to force it not to move.

"Come on Hinata, you can do it" Naruto said as he got back up, cheering his clan on and mentally wishing his body to heal faster so he could join. Hinata relaxed as she tapped into the hidden energy within her as she froze the air around her hands, coating them in a thing of ice before she switched and summoned fox fire that made the ice shine with power as the group watched in amazement. Naruto smiled proudly at Hinata who he remembered used to be a shy and weird person but was now this powerful and confident kunoichi he fallen in love with.

"_Kitsune ice fire slash" _Hinata cried out as she brought her fire/ice covered claws to the eye of the biju and slashed viciously at all the tomoe in a rapid state, making sure they were destroyed before she went to the last one and struck it deep, causing blood to shoot out. The biju, nearly blind, started trashing its body, as it broke through the sand and tried to toss Bee off its back. The creature began to destroy everything in its path with wild trashing and tails, not being able to see them.

"Alright one more attack" Maru said as he and JT handed out the last of the military pills as they saw Hyou beating a crazed Madara before he head-butted her, forcing her back, both covered in wounds that healed due to their chakra. Hinata was about to strike when she sensed something and her body moved on its own, pushing Itachi out of the way of a tree that was aimed for him.

"Crack"

"AHH" Hinata cried out as the tree crushed her leg that got caught when she tried to flee. At this rate, the creature succeeded in knocking Bee off before it went berserk, spotting them in its blurry vision as it sent out a blast of lava that missed them about 15 feet to the left but could still feel the heat from it.

"Well distract-AH" JT was saying until she and Maru got knocked away by a random tail as another one slammed down to their right causing dirt and rocks to rain down on Hinata which was deflected by Sai and Shin. The Sand siblings got behind the monster and started shooting sand, wind, and flaming needles (fox puppet) at it to draw its attention and lure it away long enough for the others to un-pin Hinata. Sasuke and Itachi got on either end and tried moving the tree, little by little until Bee and Naruto, who found strength when Hinata was hurt, helped them lift the tree up and off Hinata's broken leg that wasn't powder thanks to her shielding it with her tails.

"Thanks but you got to go and help the Sand-"

"It's okay I got them" Maru said with a limp and holding his side as he walked back over to them before he teleported and returned with the three Suna nin, all tired as JT went back to being decoy, not caring for the internal damage of her quick movements as long as she kept the monster busy. Hyou who was breathing heavily and staring at Madara who was also breathing heavily, arm broke glanced over at the group where her heart nearly broke as she watched JT playing decoy.

'_SFC, strike the center and then get ready for the ultimate attack, I'll help bring the beast down' _Hyou said as she ran toward them, not caring that she was vulnerable from behind attacks as she charged up what little chakra she had left before morphing into her tiger/dragon chimera form and aiming one well lightning-packed chakra punch to the middle of the creature's back just as she felt claws in her own thanks to Madara as she rolled around, him still attached as he dug into her fur.

"Hyou" JT cried out, tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry about me just help them finish" Hyou cried out as she used her wings to push Madara off before pinning him with her body as he struggled to get the upper hand.

"Kurai, you have to destroy the eye, you're the only one with enough chakra to do it" Hyou cried out as Madara started struggling harder but Hyou wasn't haven't it and dug her claws into the ground that was keeping his hands pinned.

"Okay, it's up to me" Kurai muttered as she focused and they watched as a purple and black cloak of chakra flowed from around her. "Time to end this once and for all" she snarled as her eyes diluted and she gathered the chakra into her claws before moving at top speed toward the fallen monster. _"Demon style: Neko shadow claws" _Kurai cried as she brought her claws right into a swiping motion toward the center of the eye causing the whole thing to go red, blood pooling at the bottom as she slashed once more before going over to the others who was all grouped together. They fueled chakra through their necklace to Naruto who was back in his new form as he forced the chakra given to him out through his hands where it pulled together to create a giant silver fox.

"This is our clan ultimate attack" they all said at the same time as they felt themselves go weak with chakra depletion and said with a heavy breath, _"deity style: silver fox clan strike" _as the silver fox raised a clawed paw and make a slashing motion at the eye which was destroyed in one hit as the creatures body jerked and paused, the 10 tails splitting once more as they watched as the spirits of the creatures go up and fly in different directions while the body began to decay and rot until nothing let but bones.

"MY MONSTER, MY PLAN, RUINED!" Madara yelled as he just slumped, too in shock at what just happened as Hyou made her way to Madara.

"It's over Madara" Hyou said as she changed her eyes to the byakugan and hit his chakra points, causing him to be frozen in place.

"I will win" Madara said in an insane laugh as he tried to fight the illusion his brain believed to be real.

"Stop trying Madara because it's not an illusion and you can't warp again either" Hyou said with a grin as she walked from behind Madara who was glaring daggers at her.

"You can't stop you me forever" Madara laughed until he saw Hyou smirk as she said she wasn't trying to stop him forever.

"I'm only stopping you long enough for THEM to" Hyou said as she turned toward Naruto who was supporting Hinata as she hopped forward on one foot. Everybody looked at the duo and fully took in their new appearance, not really paying attention to it earlier. "You destiny is to make peace in the world" Hyou said softly as she touched Hinata's broken leg, using the hidden power within her to heal it and unlock enough chakra hidden in Naruto and Hinata to finish their job. "You know what to do" Hyou said as she slowly made her way behind the duo as they nodded and used the chakra she unlocked to use their final attack none of the others knew about. Naruto created a rasengan while Hinata fueled her chakra to her hand, creating a fox-like creature which she combined with Naruto's rasengan.

"Would you look at that, if my name isn't Bee, they made a kitsune that looks like the Kyuubi. This attack is their greatest, I can't be wrong, this attack of theirs, looks very strong. The biju be happy, now they were released, and the fox Kurama can now rest in peace."

The group watched in surprise as the chakra they used was red and black which formed a fox that looked like Kyuubi and the rasengan in its mouth, staring at Madara which what they believed to be anger in its eyes.

"What is that?" Madara said scared for once as he unlocked his chakra points but found he couldn't move and looked up at JT who was grinning, saying psychic abilities was a mental thing and didn't require much chakra. Madara looked at Hyou who held up a bag and said she found one more military pill which she gave to JT to hold Madara in place.

"Hurry, his struggling isn't making it easy" JT hissed as Madara started to scream, 'no' and break free while the rest of the clan asked where Naruto and Hinata learned the attack. With a sad smile they answered.

"Inari taught Kyuubi how to use it every time we visited the cave. It was for us to learn and was passed down along with his memories and body. Kyuubi is gone forever" Naruto said as Temari gasped and Kurai was near tears. "His final wish...to avenge him and all who suffered thanks to Madara" Naruto said with an determined look in his eye as he turned back to Madara. "This is for Kurama, "_Kyuubi style: soul star-ball rasengan"_ they cried as they followed the fox the short distant to Madara's heart.


	16. The spirit of the Kitsune

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Chapter 14- _"the spirit of the kitsune"_

*previously*

"_This is for Kurama, _"Kyuubi style: soul star-ball rasengan" _they cried as they followed the fox the short distant to Madara's heart._

"NO, I WON'T BE DEFEATED AGAIN!" Madara cried out as he sent out a burst of chakra, forcing JT to end her psychic hold on Madara. Everybody watched as the attacked struck Madara and a bright black light engulfed Madara, Naruto, Hinata, and the fox before they all disappeared. The silver fox clan gasped, JT rubbed her head, Maru helped JT to her feet, and Hyou cursed before turning to the rest of the group.

"What happened? Where did they go?" Sai asked as they all looked around before looking at Hyou who had a uneasy look on her face.

"Madara tried to time-warp just as the attack hit him and messed up the purpose of the attack. The attack was to draw out his soul into the rasengan, thus making it a star-ball but..."

The group wasn't liking the but on that sentence and cried out, "so where are they?" in which Hyou flinched due to her sensitive hearing and answered softly.

"They're inside...Madara's soul" Hyou said as the group's eyes grew wide and they all turned to look at the spot where the three beings had been. "Let's hope their okay" Hyou sighed as she sat down with the rest and watched the spot, hoping, praying, that the two leaders would make a safe return.

_*inside Madara's soul*_

'_Wow, where are we?' _Naruto though as he, Hinata, and the red spirit fox floated around in a space-like world where everything was dark. They tensed and looked around when they heard Madara's voice all around them.

"You'll pay for this" Madara laughed as the air around them seemed to constrict and choke them. "You can't escape, now you will suffer the same fate" Madara yelled as the duo felt their body's go even lighter before a snarl was heard and they noticed a pure black fox in front of them, glaring as if it could see something they couldn't. There was a second pause between fox and the constriction in which the fox let out a yip-like howl before glowing a silver light that seemed to cleanse the air as the hold on Naruto and Hinata vanished. Madara's voice let out a scream before going faint and all was quiet once more. Now being able to breathe, Naruto, Hinata, and the red fox made their way to the black fox who had turned and started to float away.

"Follow me" they heard a voice say which they guessed was from the fox for it turned around to make sure they was following. Nodding, the duo and red kitsune floated away deeper in the dark world until something ahead caught their eye. They stopped when the fox did and looked at the strange sight in front of them. It was like a gray ball of flames, that seemed to be withering as if on the verge of dying.

"What is that?" Naruto asked while Hinata gasped and turned to look at the fox who was staring at her.

"Is that..." Hinata said but stopped when the fox nodded her head and turned to look at the grey "flames".

"Yes, this is Madara's chakra ball in which he souls the vixen said as she moved closer to the sick chakra.

"But why is it gray?" Naruto asked until he watched the vixen lightly touch the chakra with one of its nine tails and the sound of screaming filled the open air, making Hinata and Naruto cover their ears. Even the red spirit fox was using its tails to try and block out the sound, the black fox didn't seemed fazed by it. She lifted her tail and the screaming stopped before she turned and explained the reaction.

"Madara is a gryphon, the exact opposite of Hyou, and was to be seen as pure and royal among his world. However Hyou surpassed him, saying that pure and royal was just a title and that people should be judged on their own actions. Madara of course didn't heed her warning and kept acting like pampered house cat, Hyou's words, until his followers finally got sick of him. When Madara saw that his followers betrayed them as he saw it and went to the enemy, he was livid. He decided then and there he would show his world that gryphons were better than chimeras and did just that, destroying it in the process. Hyou further damaged his pride when she defeated him and left him near dead. Knowing that his life was about to end, he warped to this world and found the thing he needed to stay alive...a dying soul. 

Hinata and Naruto looked at each other before asking what she meant as the red spirit fox sad down on its hunches, still floating, as the vixen told them to get comfortable. When the SFC leaders looked at the red fox, the vixen told them that it would stay until it was time for it to attack. Nodding at this, they sat down, being weird as they were floating in the air before the vixen continued.

"Madara came to this world the first time, to create a clan that would be strongest in the nations so he could take control but once again he was defeated, this time by the 1st Hokage. Then to make matters worse, the clan that he gave life into, turned on him as he saw his followers turned on him with Hyou. This was final straw for him and he fled that dimension with the promise of coming back to take what was his. Hyou then chased him for several decades until she lost him once more and stayed like this until news was heard he was in the ninja realm."

"What's this got to do with why Madara's soul is like this?" Naruto asked before Hinata told him to be nice but the vixen just chuckled and said she was getting to it.

"While Hyou was looking for him, Madara found what he needed to stay alive, a dying soul that he found in the land of grass. With this knowledge he used his gryphon ability to heal souls by taking them into his body and used it for his own twisted gain. He absorbed the soul of another-Tobi as you know him...but to Kakashi, he was Obito, his friend and team-mate of his younger years. He saved Obito just before he was fully crushed and took him to a different dimension where he tricked him into giving up his soul at the promise that he would stay alive. Obito said okay and gave up his soul but Obito wasn't a fool and so when his soul was being absorbed he forced his spirit into Madara too and therefore becoming one with him. Madara was furious at this and tried to force him out but realized that he couldn't or they would both die." 

The vixen sighed as she turned to look at the small ball of chakra before continuing in a sad voice.

"Obito is suffering and at this rate both Obito and Madara will die."

Hinata let out a gasp while Naruto growled, asking if there was anything they could do to save Obito. The vixen smiled as she knew that he would say that and said there was.

"How?" both asked at the same time, jumping up as the fox got too its feet too.

"An eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth, a soul for a soul." 

"Huh?" Naruto said scratching his head while Hinata sighed a bit and explained what the fox meant.

"She means that someone will have to give up their soul for Obito to live" Hinata said calmly before the words penetrated her brain and she looked up at the vixen who nodded sadly.

"But who would willingly do that?" Naruto asked as he and Hinata looked at the vixen who said only one word.

"Starball"

Naruto and Hinata's eyes grew wide as they knew what the vixen was implying.

"Kurai?"

they vixen nodded, saying that she had a choice.

"If you use the starball on Kurai, then Obit soul dies forever with no chance of being reborn. If you use the starball on Obito, Kurai will not die but return to Hinata and live inside her." 

Hinata was on the verge of tears while Naruto remained quiet. Sighing he turned toward Hinata who nodded and said she knew. They both knew it was Kurai's choice and she would have the final say, but what Naruto didn't know was about the feeling Kurai had for Itachi.

"You have 24 hours to decide before Obito's soul dies but first you need to separate his soul from Madara's" the vixen said as she started to glow and walk toward the chakra source.

"Wait...who are you?" Hinata asked softly as the fox was about to touch the ball of chakra but turned to give her a soft smile that seemed very familiar to Hinata.

"I'm Himitsu, daughter of Inari."

"But I thought she, you, died?"

"I did, but I left my spirit behind to guide you here so you could do the right thing and save a life. Now this is the last time you will see me" Himitsu said as she slowly backed into the chakra ball.

"Wait you sealed yourself inside Madara?" Naruto asked slightly confused while Himitsu let out a gentle laugh as she fazed into the starball.

"No, silly Naruto, I wasn't sealed inside Madara I was sealed inside-"

"AAAAAAHHHHHH" a screamed rang out, drowning the rest of Himitsu's words out as she entered the chakra ball which glowed a bright silver before it changed into a yin-yang symbol that started to spin.

"Look Naruto-kun" Hinata said pointing as they noticed two people trapped inside the spheres of the symbol and banging as if trying to get out. They noticed that Madara was trapped inside the black circle of yang while the one they guessed was Obito was trapped inside the white circle of yin. They then heard Himitsu's voice give one last order as the symbol seemed to slow down.

"To set Obito free, you must capture and seal Madara's soul with the rasengan starball. You only have one chance" Himistsu's spirit said as it faded away. Naruto and Hinata nodded at this as they looked at the red fox spirit who seemed just as ready as they were.

"Let's do this" Naruto said as Hinata activated her byakugan and kept track of the white spirit inside while Naruto waited for her command. "Come on...come on" Naruto muttered as he was trying to keep track at the same time Hinata was and finally saw the chance as the black sphere was almost parallel with them.

"NOW!" Hinata cried as Naruto sent the fox forward, seeing it at the same time she did.

"This if for Kurama, _soul star-ball rasengan_" they both cried as the red fox spirit let out a roar just as the rasengan in its mouth hit the black sphere holding Madara's soul right in the center. They watched as the sphere cracked and shattered, Madara soul being absorbed into the attack, and the yin-yang symbol become unbalance. The rasengan glowed a bright red before it changed into a starball and they heard a yell as somebody came floating toward them. As soon as the person was near them, there was a flash and the feeling of being pulled backwards as they watched the symbol spin faster before exploding, lighting the area as a fox-like howl rang out.

"Thank you" Himitisu's spirit said before all went black again and they was tossed back to the world where the clan was waiting.

_*back with the clan*_

"UGH, I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE. WHERE ARE THEY?" Kurai said agitated as she started to pace while Itachi and Sasuke was trying to calm her down.

"I hope they're okay" Temari whispered softly as Kankuro stood to stretch his legs while Gaara had yet to move from his spot, eyes still on the same spot.

"it's been over an hour" Shin stated as Sai drew some birds with buckets so they could retrieve some water from the stream. When they returned, Hyou brought out a first-aid kit and had everybody dress their wounds while they waited.

"Come on all of you, give them a little chance, be calm like Gaara, like he's in a trance" Bee rapped which was slowly getting on Kurai's nerves for once.

"Bee-" was all Kurai got to say when there was a bright flash that had everybody looking up, holding their breaths, as they watched as three bodies returned, two they recognized easily.

"Naruto, Hinata" the clan cried as they watched as the two fox leaders groaned and got to their feet shakily, not used to the heaviness of their body after being light as air. They all soon crowded the leaders, asking what happened, before a voice made them remember that they weren't alone.

"Where am I? Who are you people?" a voice said from behind them and they turned to see Obito who was looking around in confusion. Soon the silence was broken by the sound of chirping birds as Sasuke created a chidori and was about to attack but grabbed by Naruto's tails.

"Slow down Sasuke, that's not Madara, it's Obito" Naruto said before he released Sasuke who turned with a confused frown,

"Obito, as in Kakashi's old team-mate and the real reason he's always late? How?" Sasuke said raising a brow at the short-haired brunette who was looking at them with confusion. Naruto and Hinata grew quiet before they explained all that went on in the Madara's soul realm. When they had finished, everybody looked at Kurai who was quiet, looking down at the ground.

"...so Kurai, it's your choice" Hyou said softly as Maru frowned and the rest just looked as they waited for her answer. Kurai looked up and looked around, her eyes stopping at Obito who was rolling a bell around for JT to pounce on. "Although he is acting a lot like Tobi now, he will return to normal within a couple of hours" Hyou said, smiling a bit as she noticed Sasuke and Itachi look at the Uchiha with a brow raised. Hearing a sob, they turned back to Kurai who was crying before she looked at Itachi who nodded and squeezed her hand.

"I really want to stay with Itachi...but I don't want anybody to suffer, so I will go back" Kurai said as Itachi wiped a tear from her cheek, a sad smile on his face. Temari and Hinata started crying before they moved in to hug Kurai and soon everybody joined in on the hug.

"Obi-I want a hug too" Obito said as he made his way toward them which made them laugh and join him in on the hug before they broke up.

"So what happened to Madara's soul anyway?" Kankuro asked as they looked around and spotted the red spirit fox that was sitting beside them, growing dim. Naruto smiled as he walked over to the fox who looked at him with what they deemed as pride.

"Thank you Kurama" Naruto said as he took the starball from the kitsune's mouth before it let out a yip and disappeared. A tear fell from Naruto's eye before he turned and showed them the sphere in his hand. "Here" he said, holding it up for all of them to see.

"So what are you going to do with it? Destroy it?" Shin asked as they all stared at the starball with hatred and evil thoughts on how to torture it even if they were sure it wouldn't work.

"No, we can't destroy it or he would just be reborn and I know you guys don't want that to happen" Hyou said which made all of them suddenly stopped glaring at it.

"So what are to do with it then?" Maru asked as he looked up at Hyou then at JT before he grabbed the back of her shirt when she made her way toward Naruto. "JT, that's not a ball or a bell so no touching" Maru sighed before he and JT got into a heated argument about knowing what it was and not playing with it.

"We're going to give him his wish. He wanted to become one with the biju, we'll let him" Hyou said with a smirk which made JT and Maru stop arguing and look at her.

"What do you mean?" JT asked as Hyou got up and motioned for them to follow her in which they did. They returned back to the stone pillars where Sasuke used Karin and watched as she touched the mountain wall behind them before a cave door appear. Stunned they followed her inside and using fox fire to light the way made their way to the back of the cave. At the end was a door with unusual marks that they couldn't understand. Hyou raised a hand, glowing with chakra, before she waved it in front of the strange markings and they rearranged into word that made them gasp.

"Tomb of the sage of 6 paths" they read before a rumble sound was heard and the door opened to let them in. They quietly followed Hyou, Maru, and JT inside the room to find...it empty. Everybody but Hyou and JT was shocked as they looked around expecting something to happen.

"Hyou, what happened? Where did everything go?" Maru asked as a wave of dread filled him, thinking that the tomb had been robbed while Hyou seemed unfazed at this while JT seemed bored.

"Well this is-MY BELL!" JT suddenly cried out when they heard a jingling sound and saw the large bell fell off her collar and rolled off as if on a purpose. They watched as the bell continued to roll before it slipped through a hole in the wall. "Not again" JT whined before she blinked and turned toward Hyou with big sad eyes. Hyou just gave her a knowing look as she reminded her that she was the one who taught her that.

"JT, go ahead and get the bell but take this with you" Hyou said before she motioned toward Gaara and asked for a bit of his sand. Confused he placed some of the sand in a bag handed to him before giving to JT who took it. JT, not caring about the use of the sand, took off through the hole in her cat form and cried out that she was on the other side before she dropped the bag of sand and looked around for her bell.

"Alright Gaara, use your _3__rd__ eye _to look around and tell me what you see" Hyou said as the redhead nodded, seeing her plan, and connected with the sand before he looked around.

"I see a room similar to this one but it's full of pictures, statues, treasures, and things. There is a door parallel to the one we just came from right on this wall" Gaara said as he tapped the spot.

"Good, is there something on the door like writing or a picture?" Hyou asked although she was 99% sure what was on the other side of the wall and was confirmed by Gaara.

"Yes there is a picture...of a black and white fox, not only that they look exactly like Naruto and Hinata" Gaara said as he deactivated his third eye and looked up at Hyou then at the duo in question. They nodded, saying they knew what to do as they moved to touch the wall that had the door behind it. The clan, Bee, Maru, and Hyou watched as two clan leaders fueled chakra to the door before speaking out.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, white vulpine of the silver fox clan."

"I am Hyuuga Hinata, black vixen of the silver fox clan."

"Together we form the silver fox clan leaders. Let us in" they cried out before the wall glowed and the outline of a new door showed before there was a click sound of a lock and the door swung open without a creak. Excited they watched Naruto and Hinata entered the room before they followed and the surprises in store.

"I can't see a thing, this room ain't bright, come on one of y'all, give out some light"

Hyou chuckled as raise her hand and gave off a quick burst of chakra and watched as torches suddenly was lit around the room, making JT cry out in surprise. JT then started complaining to Hyou about not telling her she could do that as she was fishing in the dark for the bell, wishing for just the tiniest bit of light. Ignoring the arguing younger chimera they looked around at the strange pictures before they stopped when they all saw the same thing. There sealed into the wall was a body, that didn't look like it hadn't aged in centuries,

"Is that-"

"Yes, that's the body of the sage of 6 paths" Hyou said as she got through with JT and walked over to the rest of the group with Maru. They soon heard a cry of triumph as JT had found the bell and was running back to them, in her human child form, the bell ringing as she ran. The group watched in shock as the pictures started to glow and move, as if playing a movie, but stopping as soon as JT stopped running.

"JT...where did you get that bell?" Maru asked the neko who was trying to attach it back to her collar with no such luck.

"Grunt, huh, oh it rolled over there after I accidentally kicked it from around here" JT said pointing to a spot across the room before tackling the task of putting the bell back on. Maru's eye twitched before he sighed, took a deep breathe, and tried again to get the answer he was looking for.

"No JT...where did you _originally _find the bell at?" Maru said, a headache forming as JT still looked confused before her eyes lit up in understanding.

"Oh I found it the first time we came to the tomb, why?"

"WHERE!" Maru yelled, losing his patience for the seemingly dense neko chimera who meowed before sending Maru a irritated look.

"No need to shout" JT muttered before she made her way to the front and stood in front of the body of the sage of 6 paths before she pointed to the sage's hands. "Right here, the bell fell from his hands and hit me on the head and broke my goggles...hey my goggles, I forgot that they can let me see when there's no light. Oh I'm such a goof" JT giggled while Bee and Kankuro was holding back Maru who was trying to choke the younger chimera.

"JT, why didn't you just replace the bell?" Hyou asked softly while said chimera turned to look at Hyou with big eyes.

"Because the bell attached itself to my collar and didn't come off. I was just going to leave my collar but the body closed its hands, which freaked me out and I got the heck out of here."

Hyou nodded at this before she turned to the rest of them, a smile on her face as she told Bee and Kankuro to let go of Maru. "Just as I expected, the bell lead us here. He must of knew that our adventures would lead us here, he told us he had the ability to see the future but I thought he was joking. I guess not" Hyou said looking up at the body before she looked down at JT and asked for the bell which she was handed. They watched as Hyou placed the bell back into the hands of the sage of the 6 paths, which was open again, before the hands closed once more making them all step back in surprise. There was a glowing from between the sage's hands as the bell was filled with a mystic power they felt all around the room before all the pictures on the wall started to glow.

"Whoa, what's happening?" Naruto asked as they looked around at the moving pictures that was telling the life of the sage of 6 paths. It showed how the sage of 6 paths fought the ten tails and split its chakra and abilities into 9 different tailed beast, then how it sent the body to the moon, before things grew interesting. They all watched the events of the chimeras and Maru's hope taken over by Madara, Hyou defeating him, Madara warping to the moon to find the body of the 10 tails, warp to the ninja world, be being beat by the 1st Hokage. The pictures suddenly changed as there was now a much older Madara who was seen saving Obito, who gasped at this and saying he remember, take him to a empty realm where he tried to steal Obito's soul but ended up merging them. The pictures changed again only this time to their adventure from Hinata's scene in the forest to Kurai being introduced at the hospital, them meeting Kisame and Itachi, the pranks and things they did to get the scrolls, going to Suna and meeting the foxes, all the way to them battling Madara and opening the tomb to a scene that hadn't even took place yet.

"I think you two know what you need to do" Itachi said as they all moved to give Naruto and Hinata room as they nodded before looking at the starball in Naruto's hand. The final picture shown was of Naruto and Hinata in their hanyo forms offering up the starball to a stone statue of a nine tailed fox next to the body of the sage. Naruto and Hinata turned to the statue as big as them and kneeled on one knee, bowing to the statue.

"Kitsune, guardian of the sage of 6 paths, take this corrupted soul and seal its contents within you as to never bring harm again" Naruto and Hinata said, the words just pouring out of their mouths as they heard, the others watched, as the statue's mouth opened up to show a starball resting on the kitsune's tongue. Naruto and Hinata stood from their spot and looked at the starball before Hinata took it from its mouth at the same time Naruto replaced it with Madara's soul which he swore he heard screaming. They stepped back and watched as the kitsune glowed red, almost looking life-like, as sharp teeth suddenly appeared and quickly closed down on the starball, crushing it with its jaws. There was a loud scream of pain and terror that had all of them covering their ears before the sound finally died down.

"Madara's soul is now trapped forever inside the belly of the kitsune statue. He now has the power of the kitsune guardian but can never wield it for it is greater than he will ever be" Hyou announced after everybody uncovered their ears.

"Why is the tomb of the sage of the 6 paths in a different dimension?"

Hyou just smiled as she looked at the body that they all noticed was wearing a smile as if he died peacefully. "He was a dear friend of me and Madara, together we was team that was feared and praised at the same time. His final wish was to be brought home after he died doing the right thing as I want to want to when I die."

"What do you mean?" JT asked as she and Maru looked up at the sad look on Hyou's face.

"Before Rikudō sacrificed himself for the ninja world he told us our future and what would become of us for our actions. He saw that he would sacrifice himself for the greater good and his powers left inside the only one who could make a difference. For Madara he saw that he would live for all eternity, but be unhappy and cursed in the belly of a beast. For me...he saw that I would not live long after Madara was sealed because I did the right thing but I will find love after my death."

JT was on the verge of tears as she hugged Hyou and told her not to go in which made Hyou smile and said that she wasn't going yet. Maru frowned as he thought of something but didn't get a chance to ask as Hyou said that it was time to go in which they paid their respects to the sage and the kitsune before leaving the tomb where Hyou resealed it before walking off toward where they first appeared.

"Wait, what about Obito?" Hinata asked as they turned to look at the quiet Uchiha who was thinking about all who sacrificed for him.

"I think we will give Kakashi the honor of saving his friend and clearing his heart" Hyou said with a smile before she turned toward them. "But first I have one more task before we go home" and with that Hyou disappeared to who knows where while JT just made a shocking discovery.

"Wait, my bell! My bell is still in there!" JT cried as she tried to run back to the tomb but was stopped by Maru who sighed and said that it wasn't hers anymore and that it belonged to the sage of 6 paths. "But...my bell" JT said, eyes watery as she started to cry, wailing, "my bell" loudly.

"I'm sure Hyou will get you a new one once we return to the ninja realm" Maru sighed, really hating to see JT cry. This seemed to calm her down as she sniffed and said, 'really' in which Maru nodded, happy that JT had stopped crying.

"Yea stop whining already, it's just a bell" Obito, now back to his normal before Madara self, said which earned him a glare from JT who was thinking about clawing him when Hyou came back with a large group of people.

"Is that..." the group looked in shock at many familiar and non-familiar faces one that had Hinata crying tears as she went to hug him. The rest of the group went and talked to the newcomers while JT and Maru looked at Hyou with shock looks.

"You didn't..." they said and gasped when Hyou nodded her head.

"How much of your life did this cost? You know that every person you bring back that wasn't ordered costs you some of your life span. I know you have centuries of it thanks to the different animals you posses but still...how long do you have?"

"I know have the average life span of a human" Hyou said softly which made JT and Maru gasp and ask why she brought them all back, some shouldn't have came back. "Because if my life is going to end soon anyway, I want to go out like my friend and save as many lives as I can. Besides every last one of them deserved a second chance" Hyou said as she made her way over to the clan and Bee who then turned toward her and gave her a big hug, thanking her for what she had done.

"Alright everybody, you can continue this reunion back home" Hyou said with a smile where only JT and Maru knew was hiding the deep sadness coming off of her.

"Ah yea, home is where the heart is, we all remember that, it's time to show how awesome we is, that is for a fact" Bee rapped which made all of them start laughing, even JT and Maru before Naruto got all excited.

"Hey let's go back all awesome like, like, like riding on our summonings" Naruto said, eyes big at the thought which had Hyou smiling.

"Sure" she gave in resulting in a cheer from Naruto as he and the rest of the silver fox clan started to make hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu" they all cried before large poofs of smoke appeared from all around and there sat all their personal summonings, large enough for them to ride on.

""Let's go out like the clan we are" Kurai whooped before they let out animal cries as Hyou opened up another portal that would take them back home. Maru sighed before Hyou spoke up and said that an hour in his wolf form wouldn't mess up the clan in the ninja world which had him howling in happiness before he changed into his wolf form, JT for the first time since they knew her changed into her chimera form, which consisted of a white tiger, hawk, and blue dragon.

"Alright, now its time to go back..."

"To friends..."

"To family..."

"To ramen..." at this, everybody laughed and said same old Naruto.

"To HOME!" they cried before there was red flash that engulfed all the silver fox clan members and their clothes changed. They all now was wearing robes with "Silver Fox Clan" in red engraved on the back just above a picture of a silver fox with nine tails. Naruto and Hinata's was different as Naruto had one with a white fox and the words "white vulpine of the silver fox clan" in orange while Hinata had one with a black fox and the words "black vixen of the silver fox clan" in lavender.

"Now its official who you are, y'all the silver fox clan, when you guys get back, you will have many fan, yeah" Bee yelled which had them chuckling.

"This was Kurama's last gift to all of you...he told me to hold it until you guys defeated Madara and the ten tails. This was also what he was doing when he went in the back with Inari" Hyou answered as Naruto started crying tears of happiness at the gift.

"Alright, let's go, for Kurama" Naruto yelled as he and rest ushered their summoning forward, changing back to their human form and putting on their shades.

'_That is the best clan I will ever see in my lifetime' _Hyou thought as she bit her thumb and summoned several flying chimeras and told the revived followers to get on board. After everybody had jumped on, they all let out a final animal cry and took off toward the portal and back to a new life.

_*back in the ninja realm*_

"This war is over" the Kage screamed to the warriors who rejoiced at winning the 3rd ninja war easier than they had before. With a lot of help from Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, Sasori, and Deidara they managed to destroy all the Zetsu, Deidara easily taking care of the ones underground with some explosions, and captured the original Zetsu who gave up in the end. The villages accepted the resurrection of the ninja and welcomed them back with open arms and the dismissal of punishment. They finished up the war by mourning the lost and wondering what happened to the rest, Suna especially because their Kazekage was with them. Everybody looked up when a rumble sound was heard and saw a portal opening above their heads.

"What is that?" Kiba cried out from his spot while some of the people smirked because they knew what was about to happen. After the sound of animal cries was heard, almost everybody but a few got into fighting positions as they waited for the next attack. What surprised them was when animals of every kind shot out of the portal and down toward them, each holding a rider, the two in front a lot of them recognized.

"HEY EVERYBODY, YOU MISSED US?" Naruto yelled as the clan laughed as they made their way down to the front of headquarters, the rest of the Leaf 13 running toward them.

"YOU'RE BACK" they cried as the rest of the clan landed and was instantly bombarded with hugs, questions, praises, crying, and other things as the shinobi around them cheered and started to celebrate. They all grew quiet when a couple more roars was heard and watched as several chimeras landed near the HQ as people moved to give them room. They rode their summoning down to the chimeras as the Leaf 13, sensei, the Sennin, Minato, Kushina, Akatsuki, Kages, and others followed them down to see about the newcomers.

"What's with the new look?"

"Where did you guys go?"

"Wait, whose the new kid?"

"Cool animals, where did you get them?"

"What happened? Is Madara dead?"

The crowd parted to show Minato and Kushina, both with tears of joy in their eyes, as they ran and hugged Naruto who was also crying in happiness. After several more minutes of hugging, Naruto glanced up and saw Neji, Hiashi, and Kakashi approaching him and the rest. Breaking from his parents he turned toward the two Hyuuga first with a big grin on his face.

"Hey Neji, Hiashi-sama, I think there is somebody you would like to meet, you especially Neji" Naruto said with a smirk as Hinata disappeared near the chimera and reappeared holding the hand of Hizashi Hyuuga. Hiashi and Neji's mouth dropped at seeing him before they slowly made their way to him and poked him to see if he was real. When they found that he was, they all burst into tears and hugged as the reunion of father and son, and brother and brother began.

"Yo Kakashi, come here for a minute" Naruto said as the copy nin made his way to them, a confused look on his face. Naruto and Sasuke, who appeared right next to him, both had grins on their face which Kakashi deemed scary, especially from Sasuke. "Here, there's something you need to do" Naruto said as he handed the starball from his pocket to Kakashi who took it, confusion still etched on his face. Their grin only got wider as they both suddenly disappeared and reappeared with three people, which made his visible eye go wide for there in front of him was Obito, Rin, and his father, Sakumo Hatake. The group watched in silent laughter at the look on Kakashi's face before they all grew scared when the starball fell from his now numb hands.

"NOOOOOO" they all screamed, making Kakashi jump and look down to see the starball caught barely by Naruto who dive-bombed for the fallen sphere. The clan let out a sigh in relief as Naruto shakily got up to his feet, Sasuke glaring at his sensei.

"How are you three alive?" Kakashi said, tears running down the eye that could be seen while Naruto and Sasuke told their sensei off.

"That was too close. Watch it Kakashi-sensei, you almost broke it. Man, you don't know what we've been through to get this for you and the sacrifice Kurai is making" they said agitated before Kakashi looked at them and asked what they meant. Everybody grew quiet as the silver fox clan described their adventure after they had entered the portal. Kakashi then turned toward Kurai who had a soft sad smile on her face and asked her if she was sure.

"Yes, I'm sure" she said looking him in the eye as Itachi came over and wrapped a gentle hand around her waist, making her look up at him with a loving look. With Rin in tears next to him, Kakashi nodded and turned to Obito who had the same sad look as Kakashi.

"You need to place the starball over his heart for it to work" Hyou said as Kakashi and moved to do that.

"You placed it over Nagato's and Yahiko's stomach though-"

"That's because they were dead and their heart wasn't beating to make the chakra flow through the body. That's why there's was over their chakra network and Obito is over his heart" Hyou explained as they watched as the starball was absorbed into Obito's body before he started to glow, the sound of a fox yipping heard. They then watched as Obito features changed to look like an older version of himself, his eyes going red with two new sharingan while the light soon spread to Rin who was nearby. When that was done and Hyou deemed Obito was safe, the old Team 1 got together and hugged as Kurai silently cried, although her heart hurt at knowing she was going to lose Itachi, she was happy that she did something for the greater good.

"Come on everybody, it's time to celebrate the winning of the 3rd ninja war and the greatest evil being rid of" Naruto stated loudly before his stomach growled making the clan laugh. That is until their stomachs growled too which made everybody around them laugh before they joined in. As they was laughing, they missed when three foxes appeared and with a flash, the land was filled with party items and a banner that said 'thank you silver fox clan' in which they dedicated to the clan. That day and night they partied and celebrated the new era of change before they headed home back to their nations to a new life and a 2nd chance.

*A/N: No this not the last chapter, I have one more and a surprising epilogue. Also if you think its cliche that everybody was brought back, well the, my only excuse is that I wrote this a long time ago but I have a purpose for a lot of the characters so bare with me. Also although I didn't name all the people who was brought back, they will make an appearance in the sequel (which I need to finish) so be ready for some familiar faces.*


	17. Angel of Darkness

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Chapter 15- _"Angel of Darkness"_

And so ends the adventure of the silver fox clan as they headed back to Suna with sweet memories, strong friendship, and a large celebration on the horizon. After they all been through Naruto decided it was time and had proposed to Hinata as soon as they had returned and with her father's permission they was holding the wedding at the end of the week.

_*1 week later*_

"Thank you Hyou for getting all of this done in such a short time" Hinata said as Kurenai placed the veil over Hinata's face, nearing tears. Kurenai, Anko, Hyou, JT, Konan, and Kurai were in the room helping Hinata prepare for her wedding, all of them giddy with excitement. The wedding was taking place on the Hyuuga land where Hinata's house stood.

"Why it was no problem, besides you need to thank Inari too since I couldn't have done all of this without his help" Hyou said with a smile while JT was bouncing around about a beautiful day for a wedding.

"You look beautiful Hinata" Kurenai said, near tears as Anko suggested showing her clothing which had Hinata shrieking a protest while Kurai chuckled, thinking how she would have showed some skin alright. This of course made Kurai sad as that day was a bittersweet day for Kurai was to return to Hinata the next day and the reason they moved the wedding up so quickly. They wanted her to be part of the wedding since they wanted her to have a lasting memory before she disappeared.

"It was nice of Naruto to give up his necklace for you since yours was destroyed in battle" JT said as she adjusted her flower girl outfit in the mirror. Hyou smiled as she went to her JT while Hinata said yes as she held the heart shaped pendent in her hand. Kurai looked at JT from the corner of her eye and frowned, thinking about Hanabi who was acting like a brat and refused to be the flower girl at her sister's wedding. She was brought out of her thoughts when Hinata called her name and asked her what she thought as she turned to show her the dress.

"You're beautiful Hinata, you don't need my opinion. Heck, you go up there in a bikini and still look beautiful" she said with a grin until she let out a laugh when Hinata blushed and said that was wrong while Anko said not a bad idea. Konan even added that she should get her belly button pierce which opened up another set of complaints that left them giggling. As they all started laughing, there was knock on the door in which showed Hiashi who asked if they was ready. Taking a deep breath, Hinata nodded and said she was before she followed her father out of the room and to the altar where Naruto was waiting for her. On Naruto's side was all the boys from the leaf 13 including Sasuke and Itachi who was set free when some interesting evidence landed on Tsunade's desk about the Uchiha massacre and some (not 100% true) evidence that Sasuke was working under the order of Hyou to do what he did. All the kunoichi except Hanabi was on Hinata's side.

'_Even at a wedding those two are like cats and dogs' _Hinata heard in her head as she looked at Kurai who was looking at JT who was glaring at Maru. Hinata let out a small chuckle before she turned her attention to Naruto, butterflies appearing as she took in her future husband. As soon as she was at the altar, Tsunade went ahead with the wedding, Inari, Li, and Yohaze beside her, adding their own bits as the wedding went on.

"Do you Naruto take Hinata as your lawfully wedded wife/mate?" Tsunade and Li said at the same time which had Naruto's lips twitching before he said I do. Hinata soon answered the same when she was asked and smiled when Tsunade sniffed and wiped a tear as she told Naruto that he could kiss the bride. Naruto lifted the veil off of Hinata's face and gave her a soul-warming kiss that she returned which earned some cat calls from the boys. As soon as their lips separated, they felt something wet on their head and looked up to see that the sky was raining, although there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"JT!" Maru growled from his side while said chimera meowed and said it wasn't her and held out her hands as if making a point while Hyou, Inari, Li, and Yohaze chuckled saying that was natural.

"Relax Maru, when rain falls on a clear day that is a sign that a kitsune wedding has just taken place" Hyou said as the white-haired shinobi said oh and muttered an apology to JT who had demanded one from him After that little show everybody congratulated the new couple while Kurai looked up at the sky, letting the rain mask the tears that was falling down her face.

'_Always a bridesmaid never will be the bride' _Kurai thought sadly before she cursed her luck when the silver fox clan all turned to look at her, having heard her thoughts. They all started to cry as they forgot about how Kurai would have taken the wedding, after learning her feelings for Itachi who was quiet as ever. They all went to hug the crying kunoichi, tears running down their faces as they said how much they would miss her. Even Itachi couldn't hide the tears that were running down his face as he gave Kurai a long kiss before he said something that broke her heart in two.

"I can't stay tonight Kurai-chan; I have a week-long mission to stone country for an important delivery. I'm sorry" Itachi said as walked out of Kurai's arms and headed for home to get ready for his mission. Kurai started to shake, tears running down her face, as she collapsed to the ground, pounding the earth with her fist as she cried out why. Sasuke helped her to a seat while Naruto had a puzzled look on his face as he thought about something.

"After all we done, is there no way we can save her. I mean I thought for sure those stupid riddles would have helped us find a way but nothing, in fact, did we ever solve that last riddle?" Naruto asked suddenly while everybody but Hinata and Kurai asked what riddle.

"You mean this riddle?" a voice said from behind them and they turned to see Hiashi, Hizashi, and Neji approach them, a scroll in the Hizashi's hand while Neji held a gift.

"Otosan, ojisan, what, where-" Hinata was trying to ask how they got the scroll since it was last in her backpack which nobody had touched since they got back.

"I found the scroll in my office" Hiashi explained as they all turned to look at Hyou who was looking at JT and Maru who was pointing fingers at the other. Chuckling at the duo, the twins turned back to Hinata, Hiashi with a look of pride on his face.

"You have changed dramatically Hinata you're growing up to be a fine young woman and are now more confident in your abilities. You've really changed mentally and emotionally" Hizashi said as he handed her the scroll which she took with a smile.

"I've also changed physically" Hinata said as Naruto went over and placed a hand on Hinata's side, a smile on his face.

"Hm, what do you mean?" Hiashi asked, a weird look on his face that screamed he knew something they didn't know which had them curious. The silver fox clan got together and told them of their adventure, leaving out the part of where Inari, Li, and Yohaze lived, until they got to the part of Kurama dying and leaving them with one final gift.

"...so Kyuubi, er Kurama, is gone" Jiraiya and Tsunade said stunned while Bee, who was also invited to the wedding, rapped about how he gave up his life to do what's right.

"Yes, he left us his powers, abilities, and his fox body which he merged with us to gain new forms, our hanyo forms" Naruto and Hinata explained while the rest of the Leaf 13 and their sensei asked what they meant. The silver fox clan excused themselves as they went into spare rooms and changed into their clan clothes before they all, one by one, dropped the henge, making the groups gasped until all eyes was on Hinata and Naruto. Together they dropped their henge to show their 9 snow white and midnight black tails and ears which had everybody gasping before going quiet.

"Kawaii/Cool!" Tenten, Konohamaru, and others cried as they went over to look at the animal features of the group while Sakura and Ino asked to touch their tails, hearts shining in their eyes that made Naruto uneasy.

"Maybe...later?" Naruto said as he hid somewhat behind Hinata who was giggling while Kurai let out small laugh as she saw Sasuke quickly hiding from the kunoichi's line of sight. While everybody was laughing at Naruto's reaction, nobody saw with Hiashi and Hizashi exchanged a look before they softly nodded to each other and called out to Hinata.

"I think you should read the riddle again to see if you can figure out what it means now" Hiashi said as Neji handed the gift to him and walked over to join the rest of the Leaf 13. Sensing something big, Hinata unraveled the scroll and read the riddle out loud for them all to here:

_The powers within you, will soon be unlocked,_

_Now the real challenge begins, as you chase the clock. (1)_

_You must accept the star ball, the soul of your kind,_

_You must hurry, for you're running out of time. (2)_

_To find the star ball, you must face the sun,_

_And prove to them, the battle you won. (3)_

_Bring back the body of a black fox, and he will see,_

_You are ready for the secret hidden in the tree. (4)_

_The fox whose fur is as black as the night,_

_With bright pale eyes that seek the light. (5) _

_The black and white fox, looking for their mate,_

_Will soon join together as seen as their fate. (6)_

_This is the final riddle, time for me to go,_

_Take care of each other, Hinata and Naruto. (7)_

"So, what does it mean?" Kurai said as she walked over to Hinata and Naruto with a frown at the still confusing riddle.

"I guess we break down each part like we did the rest" Naruto said as he looked over Hinata's shoulder at the scroll.

"_The powers within you will soon be unlocked, now the real challenge begins, as you chase the clock. _I guess that's when Inari unlocked our inner animal and the '_chase the clock'_ part meant Madara's war."

"_You must accept the star ball, the soul of your kind; you must hurry, for you're running out of time._ What does it mean accept the star ball of my kind? I'm human, well I was, I guess I'm a kitsune now but does it mean when Obito was trapped in Madara by the '_running out of time'_ part?"

"I'm trying to figure out the '_to find the star ball, you must face the sun, and prove to them, the battle you won'_ bit. What's with the 'them' part, it's not there's two suns we can face."

At those words, Hinata gasped and grew quiet as the pieces fell into place on what the riddle meant. Hinata looked at the riddle then at her father and uncle in front of her then back at the riddle before a grin broke out on her face. "I think I figured it out" Hinata said proudly as she rolled up the scroll which she handed back to Hizashi.

"The first verse is referring to after we met Inari-sama and our power was unlocked, then our rush to save Konan, train in our new forms, and battle the 10 tails. The second verse was the choice on whether to save Kurai or Obito with the star ball found in the tomb."

"Yea that makes sense but what about the third verse..." Naruto asked until he saw Kurai's eyes widen in understanding as she voiced her thoughts.

"There's another star ball we can use...isn't there?" Kurai asked Hinata who smiled and nodded while everybody once again went quiet.

"...WHERE?" the silver fox clan cried out as they started looking around as if it would appear out of nowhere while Hinata giggled and said right in front of them which confused them all until she turned toward Hiashi and Hizashi.

"I, Hyuuga Hinata, have proven victorious in battle" Hinata said as her father and uncle smiled and nodded, saying that they saw that while Sasuke chuckled as he understood what was happening.

"I get it now. The third verse was a riddle within a riddle. To _'face the sun, and prove to them, the battle you won' _had a double meaning. Hyuuga mans 'toward the sun' and 'them' was referring to the Hyuuga twins."

Kurai and Naruto yelled of course as they finally pieced the rest of the riddle together.

"So when Kurama merged with us to complete our final form."

"Right and '_the black and white fox, looking for their mate, will soon join together as seen as their fate' _meant Naruto whose fur is white and Hinata's whose fur is black."

"Yes but two verses are still left unanswered. We already figured out that the '_bring back the body of a black fox, and he will see' _is Hinata showing her father that she is now a 9 tailed black kitsune but '_secret hidden in the tree' _and that we '_seek the light'_? And what about that last part, as if somebody knew all of this was going to happen..."

Everybody watched as Hinata calmly walked up to Hiashi and asked a simple question.

"Who left the riddle?"

"I knew you were a smart child" Hiashi muttered as he handed her the gift which she took, a confused look on her face. "I made a promise to give this to you on your wedding day" Hinata's father said as he started to walk away, Hizashi, Neji, Naruto, Hinata, and Kurai following right behind him into the house. As soon as the door had closed, it opened once more to show a sheepish Naruto who said they would be right back and to enjoy the rest of the party before ducking back into the house. After that was done, Naruto joined the Hyuuga in the living room where the gift was lying on the small table in front. As soon as Naruto was seated, Hinata carefully unwrapped the gift and looked inside to find-

"Is this..." Hinata asked looking up at her father who nodded.

"Yes, it's your mother's old music box" Hiashi said as Hinata carefully removed the music player out of the box and looked at her mother's most cherished item. The music box* was black with a picture of a silver fox shown among some tall grass with a lake behind it. Tears welded up in Hinata's eyes as memories of her mother came back to her.

"I remember kaa-chan used to play this for me before I went to bed. She would hold me, let it play, and sing along, a soothing lullaby, until I felt asleep in her arms" Hinata said softly, a tear escaping which Naruto quickly wiped away as he gave her a smile. Hinata took a deep breath before she tried to open the music box to find it lock.

"Where's the key?" Kurai asked as he saw Hinata struggling with the box until they looked up and saw the smiles on their faces.

"It's around her neck" Neji answered which made Naruto and Kurai look at him in surprise while Hinata took the necklace from around her neck after removing her protector.

"This is the key?" Hinata said curiously as she took a closer look at the necklace before she gasped. "This is like the one kaa-chan wore around her neck" Hinata gasped as she held it up for them to see. The necklace had changed after Kurama merged with them and was now bigger with a black and white fox on it, tails intertwined with what look like a baby silver fox sitting on them. Stunned, Hinata quickly placed the necklace to the jewelry box before she heard a click and the top jolted a bit, showing it was unlocked. Hinata placed the necklace on the table before she lifted the lid of the music box. As soon as the lid was raised, _Sotanshi _by Kaoru Wada* began to play in which Hinata closed her eyes and remembered the times with her mother and the music box, the gentle sound of her breathing, the feel of fingers when she combed her hair, the cute toy ball her mother kept in the music box, the silkiness of her fur as it wrapped around her, wait, what?

Hinata eyes shot open when she heard Neji, Kurai, and Naruto cry out, calling her name. "Hinata look at the music box" Naruto said quickly while Kurai and Neji stood there in shock at what they saw. Hinata looked down and gasped at what she saw. Inside the music box was a display where three foxes, black, silver, and white, was running around something in the shape of a sphere.

"Is that..." Hinata said stunned as she looked up at her father who nodded.

"Yes...it's a star ball" Hiashi said calmly before motioning Naruto over to him. The blonde, still in shock, had to be nudged by Neji before he moved and made his way over to Hiashi. "I trust you to take care of my daughter now. It's your responsibility now" Hiashi said looking hard at Naruto who nodded and said he understood and that he would.

"I will Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi nodded before he took off the necklace from around his neck and handed to Naruto. Naruto looked and was surprised to see it was similar to Hinata's while Hiashi smiled.

"I know you will and call me otousan."

"Thank you otousan" Naruto replied with a smile while Hinata, who was watching, gasped as she looked at the necklace.

"It's the same as mine, but how?"

"It's your mothers" Hizashi replied as Naruto blinked before he handed Hiashi back the necklace, removed the one Hinata was wearing, and let Hiashi place the one in his hands around her neck.

"Wait, Naruto bought that necklace at the store, so how is the necklace connected to the music box? Did you sell it?" Neji asked, looking at his uncle who had sad eyes as she shook his head.

"That necklace was originally mine and no, Hanabi had sold it when she learned that you were to inherit your mother's music box. She found out the necklace was the key and stole it so you would never be able to open it. She stole your mother's necklace later and sold it too but I managed to buy it back."

"She was upset when she learned the secret hidden within the family tree." Neji explained when he saw the looks of shock and confusion on the trio's faces.

"What secret is that?" Hinata asked as they got more comfortable on the cushions around the table. Hiashi took a deep breath before he revealed the biggest shock since their adventure.

"Hinata, you mother...my wife...was a kitsune. And not just any kitsune, she was Himitsu, daughter of Inari."

_*go to my deviantart account Ladytiger47 to see the picture, I found it online but can't remember where*_

_**Found the song off of youtube, if listen to, imagine the woman singing is Himitsu in fox form, cuddling a young Hinata in her tails as she sang to her and slowly rocked her into sleep._

Me: Okay, this will be the final omake/breaking 4th wall. So how many people were expecting that?

SFC: ...

Me: Yep, I wanted to throw a surprise twist into the story but I bet some of you figured it out.

SFC: ...

Me: Um, are you guys okay

SFC: ...

Me: *sweat drop* I guess I better just end this now and enjoy the rest of the chapter. 

The trio sat there in shock as what Hiashi just told them process into their brains while there was the barest of whispers outside.

"What?"

"Did he just say Hinata's mother was a kitsune?

"Who's Himitsu?"

"Quiet, I can't here"

"Keep your voice down before they hear us"

"What?" Kurai asked after a minute while Hiashi and Hizashi exchanged a look as Neji sighed, staring at the door.

"We already hear you so you might as well come in."

There was a moment of silence before the door clicked open to show the silver fox clan entering, each with a blush or sheepish look on their face, followed by Inari, Yohaze, Li, Minato, and Kushina. "We were coming to ask if you were rejoining the party" Kankuro said lamely while Neji gave them a disbelieving look while Hiashi told them to have a seat.

"I knew there was something special about your mother since the Kyuubi used to go quiet whenever around her but I would have never guessed she was a kitsune" Kushina said looking at Hinata who nodded absently, still taking in the news.

"You picked a beautiful wife Naruto" Minato said, clapping a hand on his son's shoulder while the blonde chuckled and said it was more the other way around. Kushina muttered something about 'believe that' and 'dense blondes' which had them all laughing while said blondes pouted.

"So I'm part kitsune?" Hinata asked looking at her father while Hizashi muttered something about being 3/4s kitsune now which had Hiashi looking at his brother with a chuckle before turning back to Hinata.

"Yes Hinata, although Hizashi is right and you're now more kitsune than human but then you was always more kitsune than human. Here I will explain from the beginning. I met Himitsu when I went out training in the forest when I was younger."

"So that's where you used to escape too. You used to leave me with the chores" Hizashi added, glaring at his brother who coughed a bit, hiding a smile before he continued.

"Anyway, when I found Himitsu she was in her human form and was injured badly so I took her back to the Manor and bandaged her up. I guess you could say it was love at first sight the second I looked into her silver eyes since we was soon seen almost every day together around Konoha. However, word got back to father and he didn't approve of our relation, saying it was unacceptable for me to marry an outsider, especially one as mysterious as Himitsu was, so he forbidden me from seeing her ever again."

"Yea, Hiashi was so heartbroken that he actually challenged father for her hand in marriage, which was funny to see since Hiashi got his ass handed to him-"

"Wait a minute; I thought you were doing chores when I issued that challenge?"

"Oh I was but when I heard you had challenged father, I went running to see that. Got it on video too and hid it where you could never find it."

"You didn't? Give me that video now!"

"No way, that's too good of a blackmail to give back freely"

While the two brothers bickered, Hinata and Neji sweat dropped at seeing their fathers act...like a normal person for a change.

'I guess if you lost your twin and then had him reborn you would change dramatically too' Hinata and Neji thought before Minato calmly stopped their argument and asked them to get back to the story.

"Sorry, right after father forbid me from seeing Himitsu, I followed his orders and never went near her and she disappeared. However late at night, she would sneak into the Manor to come see or I would meet her out in the forest."

"Wh-" Hizashi was saying until his mouth was covered by Hiashi's hand.

"We would just sit and talk or look up at the stars and moon" Hiashi said looking at his twin before removing his hands while Hizashi rolled his eyes and muttered, 'yea right' before he went quiet again.

"At that time I didn't know she was a kitsune, I found out later when the Inuzuka clan's dogs got out and chased her into the forest after she was visiting me. I was afraid she would be hurt so I followed and watched as she summoned some fox fire that she used to scare the dogs away. However she noticed that I had saw and a tear had escaped from her face that fell and grew into a flower which is when I knew she wasn't human. I asked what was she and that's when she changed into a black fox and fled through the trees, not once looking back."

Hiashi sighed as if thinking about that night before he continued.

"I picked up the flower and kept it, something to remember her by and headed home. After that she hadn't come by for at least a week and all through that week I was looking up everything I could on kitsune. During that time father had went on a mission to river country but it turns out it was a trap set by some cloud nin who still wanted the byakugan. He was almost killed but was saved by Himitsu who took him to her home in the desert. There he met Inari and was shocked to learn the truth behind Himitsu being the daughter of the fox deity."

There was a chuckle from the corner and they turned to look at Inari who was smiling, saying he remembered the Hyuuga Elder's face expression when he told him the truth. Li and Yohaze both giggled, saying they never seen a human looked so scared in his life as he started bowing and asking for forgiveness the second Inari showed him his 9 tails.

"I would have paid money to see that" Hizashi grumbled lowly while Hiashi mentally agreed as Inari told his side of the story.

"Yes your father had apologized for his actions toward my daughter but I never held a grudge. At that, we allowed him to stay so his wounds could heal and that we could come up with some kind of agreement, involving Himitsu and Hiashi being in love with each other. In the end he accepted the marriage and given the backing of the silver foxes if anything was to ever happens to his clan. After that we decided to escort him back to Konoha to explain the situation to Hiashi and Hizashi, but first we had to break up the battle at home."

"What you mean?" Neji asked as he looked at his father who was glaring at a smirking Hiashi.

"He means that he, Li, and father had to pull us apart because Hiashi was trying to gentle fist me into the hospital after I throw his flower away. How was I supposed to know it was from your girlfriend but he didn't listen and kept attacking me?"

"Can we get on with the story, I don't exactly have all day" Kurai said impatiently which made them remember that time was on the essence.

"Even knowing that your wife wasn't human, you still loved her?" Minato asked curiously as Hiashi nodded a smile on his face.

"Yes, after that the wedding was set and had taken place. That was happiest day of my life when Himitsu said 'I Do'. The second happiest was when Hinata was born but she had an unusual birth which had to be kept secret. It's turned out that Hinata had inherited her mother's powers greatly and was in fact born with ears and a single black tail. Unfortunately word got out and she was soon targeted for being a monster but true to his word, Inari sent somebody to help. Hyou appeared and helped fixed everything by erasing the memory of Hinata having the animal features and hid her abilities. Her abilities would have been unlocked when she was put to the test and with that I made a promise to Himitsu which I forgot after she had died."

The room grew quiet as they knew her death was a sore topic but that they needed to know the rest of the story.

"How did she die, what was the promise?" Sasuke surprising asked as Hiashi flinched as if remembering hurt before Yohaze spoke up, a sad note in her voice.

"Poachers, they saw her one time when she was in her fox form and wanted her tails, believing they was the source of her power. One time Himitsu had taken Hinata with her for a gentle ride when they attacked her. If Himitsu was alone then she could have taken them but Hinata was with her so you shielded her child with her body and was wounded in the process. Hiashi had a deep connection with Himitsu to the point that he could sense when she was in trouble and was in a meeting when he felt her pain and took off, forgotten all about the meeting with Hizashi in tow. He went straight to her and found her greatly wounded, a large gash in her side and a crying Hinata trying to stop the flow of blood. What stunned the duo were the knocked out bodies of the poachers who was in the clutches of several silver foxes. We thought that Himitsu had summoned them to protect Hinata when it was later found that it was reverse and they Hinata had summoned them to protect her mother."

Hinata let out a soft cry as memories of a strong power surging through her when she saw the poachers had attacked her mother. Since she was little, she didn't understand the powers and grew scared.

"After the poachers were dealt with, we tried to save Himitsu but knew it was too late. Just before she died, she had her spirit placed within Hinata to keep watch over her and have Hiashi promise her one thing before she died."

"Her last wish before she died..."

Hiashi was now in tears as he looked at Hinata, regret and sadness in his eyes.

"Was to treat you like the goddess you are and to remember how you tried to save her, but I failed when you wasn't showing any progress with your training and started to treat you harshly. I'm sorry for all I done, please Hinata can you forgive me?" Hiashi said as he bowed to her while tears rain down from Hinata's face, changing into stones as they hit the table. Hinata stood up and walked to her father before hugging him, saying she already had, which soon brought tears to everybody's faces. As Hinata and Hiashi separated they all heard crying still and said that everything was okay.

"You can all stop crying now" Hinata said as she turned but frowned when she looked at everybody's clear faces.

"It's not us"

They all suddenly turned to the door which Minato opened to show everybody standing there, tears running down their faces as JT said that was beautiful while the people in the house sweat dropped at the scene. "So sad yet so sweet" JT cried as Hyou handed her some tissue while Maru rolled his eyes at the over-emotional chimera.

"Now that you have another star ball...does that mean Kurai can stay?" Konohamaru asked looking at them as they looked down at the music box that was still open, showing the foxes running around the sphere. They looked up at Hiashi who smiled and said her mother left it for her to do with whatever she wanted and with that they all smiled and nodded, earning cheers from everybody outside. Hinata lifted up the sphere, feeling warm in her hands, as she turned to look at Kurai who had a large smile on her face.

"Ready?" Hinata asked as she raised the star ball to Kurai's heart.

"Ready" Kurai replied before she felt the thing touch her body before melting into her body, leaving what felt like fox fire in its way. The star ball glowed black before a growl came from Kurai and then the sound of a bell from nowhere before Kurai gasped as the star ball was absorbed within her body. Everybody was holding their breath as they looked at Kurai, waiting to see if anything would happen to her.

"How do you feel?" Hinata asked as the tension in the air seemed to thicken before Kurai looked up at her, a large smile on her face.

"Never better" Kurai growled in happiness while everybody cried out in celebration and the silver fox clan ran over and hugged her while JT, Maru, and Hyou smiled on the sidelines. The smiles soon turned to laughter when they heard Kurai curse and start to struggle, as if trying to break free. "Wait...DAMN IT, ITACHI-KUN ALREADY LEFT" Kurai cursed as she tried to escape the group, saying she was going to chase after him in which Yohaze stopped her.

"That wouldn't be a wise choice or you will distract him from his mission" the red and black fox said which made Kurai pause and sigh in defeat. "But I think I know a way you can surprise him when he get back" Yohaze said, mischief in her voice that caught Kurai's attention as she made her way over to the fox. "Anko, Konan, Kurenai, and JT I will need all of your assistance" Yohaze said with a grin as the said kunoichi walked over to the vixen. Everybody watched in curiosity as they walked further away as to remain out of hearing range of even the silver fox clan before they started talking. Whatever Yohaze had said had the kunoichi gasping, smirking, giggling, and all with the same shock looks on their faces.

"Yohaze, that's wrong, devious, and naughty even... 'KATANA' WHAT ROOM IS ITACHI'S?" Kurai yelled to Sasuke while Yohaze continued talking to the other kunoichi who was nodding and grinning.

"...Hiashi-sama can I stay at the Hyuuga Manor for the weekend?" Sasuke asked, looking uneasy, which had all of them laughing again before a branch member came out from the direction of the Manor and whispered something into Hiashi's ear that had him cursing before he nodded and said he had to go.

"Hanabi is missing, she ran away some time during the wedding" Hiashi sighed while Hizashi said he would go and find her before Inari spoke up.

"It's okay, we will find her. Come Li, Yohaze" Inari said as the trio grouped together before disappearing in a flash of golden light. Hiashi sighed before he looked up at the house, a smile on his face as he turned toward Hinata.

"This is where I first met your mother when she was injured. She came here because this was sacred fox grounds and the only place a fox could feel safe when in danger. You are strong yet kind like your mother and I know you will make a fine leader for the silver fox clan" Hiashi said as Hyou was ushering everybody away, saying that the party was over while the four scheming kunoichi was asking questions to Sasuke who was looking scared all of sudden.

"So I guess that now that I'm a clan leader of the silver fox clan that Hanabi is now the rightful heir to the Hyuuga clan, right?" Hinata asked, looking at Kurai who was writing on a list of some sort and smirking as she checked over it. Hiashi's smile faded and a sad look appeared on his face.

"No, she lost all chance of becoming heir when she attacked the council after their last decision."

"What?" Neji and Hinata said at the same time, making the silver fox clan who was still there look up in surprise while Kurai snorted from her table, muttering about a short-fuse firework.

"Yes, after her battle with Hinata, losing the title of heiress, and finding out the secret, she attacked them and they decided to punish her by treating her like a branch member until she has proven herself that she can be considered a head clan member and won't get the seal."

"Then who is the new heiress?" Neji and Hizashi asked confused when they saw Hiashi smile before answered.

"Kurai is" Hiashi stated which succeeded in capturing said kunoichi's attention as she looked up when her name was called, a surprised look on her face.

"Say what?" she asked as she got up to join the conversation as Hiashi repeated himself and said that she was the new heiress of the Hyuuga clan.

"Kurai has been chosen by the council and me to be the next heiress as she proven herself in battle and the earlier agreement still stands." *one from chapter 3* "Once she is married, it will be made official and there is no way the position can be taken from her...no matter what she says or does" Hiashi said, that last part sounded a bit fishy as Kurai raised a brow before she glance at Neji and his father before her eyes widen and a cat-like grin came across her face.

"Is that so? Well then, my first order of business is that Neji is appointed as my 2nd in command and can also make decisions that will benefit the clan" Kurai said as she started to pace while Neji was sputtering and trying to ask her if she was serious. "My second order of business is that Neji and his father will both have their curse seals removes and will now lead the side branch of the clan" Kurai said with a grin as she stared at the two speechless Hyuuga while Hiashi chuckled.

"You know the council won't try and allow that" Hiashi said calmly, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I don't care, they left me in charge and there will be some changes. They don't have to like it but they will accept it, even I have made them."

"They don't back down so easily and are set on the old ways. If you try and change it they will fight you for it."

"Oh really?" Kurai said with a smirk as the silver fox clan moved to her side, their animal forms showing and a look that said they was a force to be reckon with. "Do you think they can take on the whole silver fox clan?" Kurai asked making Hiashi chuckle while Neji and Hizashi smiled, thanking her many times in which waved away saying they deserved it. Hiashi said it was getting late and that they should all head home in which they congratulated Hinata and Naruto once more before the new couple went inside their new house. The rest cleaned up before they headed to the Manor to set a certain clan's council members straight while the silver clan leaders was facing something different.

"Excuse" they heard a voice say as they entered their room and pinpointed it an orange fox sitting on their bed, a large package at the foot of the bed.

"Why hello, can we help you with something?" Hinata asked the fox while Naruto stared at the box before turning to the fox that started to speak again.

"I have a package for the leaders of the silver fox clan. Is that you two?" the fox asked as they nodded and showed him the back of their robes. This was enough for the fox for he nodded and disappeared in a small poof. Curious as to why the summoning fox, Naruto lifted the package and sat it on the bed before he and Hinata opened it to see its contents. Inside was a dark red star ball, 9 animal plushies with rings on a string around their necks, and a note.

"Who's it from?" Hinata asked as Naruto picked up and started to read the note, glancing at the star ball for a second before he started to read.

"_Dear Naruto aka brat..._

_Congratulations on the marriage. I knew she was special the second I seen her through your eyes-"_

"It's from Kurama" Naruto said shakily as he continued to read the let from his former biju.

_I sensed she held a deep power, didn't know how deep until Inari-sama told me. If your reading this, that means that I have merged with you and Hinata, my spirit is gone, and my soul safe with the both of you. Well I hope the both of you been having lots of "fun"-_

At this Naruto and Hinata blushed before sending a quick glance to each other before Naruto continued, his blush fading and confusion setting in.

"_-because you won't be having much time alone in the near future. Yes, because the fun…is only beginning. Included in this package is my star ball, 9 plushies, and 9 rings attached to each plushy. Give each Silver Clan member a plushy with the ring…except Kurai. All will be explained soon. At the bottom of this scroll is a list on which member gets control of the plushy. Happy Hunting."_

_Kurama no Kitsune_

Naruto looked down at the note and saw the ten members of the silver fox clan each with an animal next to their name except Kurai who had the word, "leader" next to it. Naruto and Hinata then looked at each other with the same confused looks.

"Happy...Hunting?"

"Control?"

"Why do I get the feeling something big is about to go down?" Naruto muttered as he flipped the note over and saw more writing.

"_P.S. Make sure you don't lose my soul now. It shows prove that I will always in your debt, and I will start to pay back you back all I taken away from you Naruto. See you soon."_

With that, Naruto placed the note down before he and Hinata picked up a fox and cat plushy which seemed to give off a strange vibe.

"See you soon...what did he mean by that?"

"I think Naruto-kun that our life is about to become interesting once more" Hinata said while Naruto smiled and gave a quick kiss before he moved the plushy off of the bed and out of the room so he could have some 'privacy' with Hinata. Hey Kurama said he should have fun then he should honor his last request right? So the quest for the star ball was over and things went back to normal, or as normal as things could be for now. Next week, however was going to get a lot more interesting, especially for a certain Uchiha went got back from his mission. Ku ku ku.


	18. Epilogue Blast from the Past

The Dark Side of the Hyuuga

Epilogue-_"Blast from the Past"_

*one week later*

"So is everything set?" Kurai said, grinning evilly as Hinata, Anko, Kurenai, and JT all nodded and giggled while Naruto and Sasuke sweat dropped at the conning kunoichi. They were at the Uchiha Compound where they just had finished Itachi's "surprise" for when he got back some time that day.

"I think they're enjoying this a little too much" Naruto whispered to Sasuke who agreed as they watched the girls dart around the room to check and make final adjustments. "How were we roped into this again?" Naruto asked while Sasuke grumbled about two female Hyuuga and their attachment to them.

"Speaking of Hyuuga, have they found Hanabi yet?" JT asked as she was closest to Sasuke and heard his mumbled response.

"Yea they found 'firecracker' yesterday. It turns out she was trying to live in the cave where we found Itachi-kun and train where Hinata was so that she could get stronger. Personally I think she was hoping that the same thing that happened to Hinata would happen to her" Kurai said as she came out of the room with the other kunoichi in sight, a grin on her face.

"Okay, we all set here and you guys suffered enough, so you can gone and go ahead."

"K, later Kurai and good luck" Anko said a smirk as she Kurenai, and JT disappeared.

"Cool, now we can go out for ramen and cinnamon buns" Naruto said as Hinata smiled and said later to Kurai and Sasuke before they too left. Sasuke sighed, went to grab his overnight bag, and went back to Kurai.

"Word of advice, try and stick to one room and stay away from my mine" Sasuke said seriously which had Kurai laughing and saying they would try before Sasuke sighed, went to put a sealing tag on his door, and said later as he headed toward the front door. "Thank Kami the Hyuuga are letting me stay there for the weekend" Sasuke muttered as he opened the door, not paying attention to in front of him, and ran straight into someone. "Who the-oh hey niisan...you look terrible" Sasuke said when he looked up to see his brother who indeed didn't look like his normal self. He looked skinnier like he hadn't eaten in several days, his hair was messy as if thrown in a ponytail quickly, he was frowning, and his eyes looked deep, sad, and unfocused.

"Huh, oh hey Sasuke, where are you going?" Itachi asked when noticed the bag over his younger brother's shoulder.

"I'm going to stay at the Hyuuga for the weekend. How did you mission go?" Sasuke asked quickly, not wanting Itachi to ask why for the sudden stay. Sasuke watch as Itachi's eyes went even sadder which made him uneasy as his brother told him the mission was a success. "Then what's wrong? Was the package broken or something?" he continued to ask in which Itachi shook his head and went inside his pocket for something.

"No, it turns out the package was in fact for me. Yohaze and Hyou had set up the mission so I could pick something up for...well I'll show you" Itachi said softly as his hand came out of his pocket to show Sasuke a small box. Sasuke's eyes widen in surprise before he mentally grinned, thinking that Yohaze and Hyou were sneakier than he gave them credit for.

'_I wonder how long they had been planning this whole thing_' Sasuke thought as Itachi put the box back in his pocket before he looked at Sasuke, a confused look on his face.

"Why are you going to the Hyuuga Manor?" he asked suddenly which made Sasuke remember the situation and quickly came up with something.

"I thought it would be best to leave you alone right now, to give you some space" Sasuke answered quickly, thinking in his mind that it wasn't a lie while Itachi stared at him. Nodding he said fine and moved out the way so Sasuke could leave.

"I think that's best although all I'm going to do is take a bath and get some sleep."

"I doubt you'll be getting any sleep" Sasuke muttered, grinning as he quickly closed the door.

"What?" Itachi asked having heard his brother's comment.

"Nothing later niisan" Sasuke shouted as he ran out the door and toward the Hyuuga Manor, not looking back once as he felt his brother's eyes staring at his retreating back. Itachi watched as Sasuke left, an air of suspicion around him. Mentally thinking to ask him about it later, Itachi slowly made his way to his room when a scent caught his nose and made him raise a brow.

'_Milk? Is he trying to be funny?'_ Itachi thought as he opened his door to see his room littered with cat toys, sauces of milk, and other random things. _'I'm going to get him for this'_ Itachi thought darkly before he sighed and grabbed some clothes for his bath. As he had stripped down to nothing, *fan girls rejoice*, he wrapped a towel around his waist, *fan girls cry*, before heading to the bathroom, senses tingling as something kept nagging him at the back of his head. On high alert, he slowly opened the bathroom door and peered inside to see it...empty, well not entirely.

"I guess the others are trying to help me relax" Itachi muttered as he made his way to the tub that was now filled with warm milk mixed with honey according to the scent. He looked around and noticed several different flowers around the room, white camellia, yellow camellia, and irises, but one caught his eye as he glanced down at the tub. A single large white flower was floating in the center that he knew wasn't there a few seconds ago. Itachi frowned as he mentally connected what each flower meant.

'_White camellias are waiting, the yellow are longing, iris is glad tidings, and the flower is the tub...is a cactus flower, but that means-'_

"Lust or sex" a voice said from behind Itachi that made him snap out of his thoughts and quickly turn around to see no one there but the bathroom door close.

"That voice" he muttered before he heard the light sound of moving water as someone had entered the tub.

"Why I know you didn't forget about me already. It's only been a week" the voice said as Itachi grew quiet, piecing everything together. "Riddle, riddle, on the wall, guess whose mother was a kitsune after all?" the voice teased as Itachi smiled and turned toward the tub.

"So Himitsu was Hinata's mother and they used her star ball to keep you around correct?" Itachi said as he slowly made his way to the tub where Kurai was laying, the milk coming up to about half way to her breast. "I also bet that Yohaze, Hyou, and the other kunoichi had something to do with this too. That would also explain all the looks and smirks around town and Sasuke's sudden departure" Itachi chuckled as he removed the towel *fan girls cry out in happiness* and settled into the tub of milk with Kurai. *fan girls drool, cry, and take pictures*

"Why of course my raven" Kurai grinned mischievously as she slid through the water toward the older Uchiha. Itachi removed the cactus flower from the tub before he turned back to Kurai who was sitting calmly in his lap. "So, is there something you want to ask me? Kurai asked, leaning her head back to look up at Itachi, who grin on his face.

"You when through my clothes while I was in here" he stated more than asked as Kurai's grin grew wider and she pointed to the flower where the box from earlier now sat.

"You know it's not the traditional way of doing this right?"

"Since when do I ever define traditional?"

"Point" Itachi chuckled before he grabbed the box and opened it up to show a wedding ring before he asked Kurai to marry him.

"YES!" she cried just as Itachi put the ring on her finger and after a long kiss she pounced on newly engaged in the tub, making milk splash out all over the cactus flower. While Kurai and Itachi enjoyed themselves, another Hyuuga female was enjoying herself with her new husband, just in a different way.

"This is the life" Hinata sighed as Naruto gave her a massage while a clone was rubbing her feet, another brushing her tails, another fixing dinner, and etc. Yep, Hinata was enjoying being pampered by the blonde and clones and was going to do something special later on for it too.

'_At this rate, I will be as bad as Kurai...I wonder if that's a good or bad thing'_ Hinata thought giggling before she shared a kiss with the real Naruto before she continued to enjoy her pampering. Sasuke had just arrived at the Hyuuga Manor and was now talking with Neji about training while Hiashi and Hizashi talked about everything under the sun, from Kurai making serious changes in the Hyuuga clan to a bet on seeing how long until Neji confessed his feelings to Tenten. I think we can all agree it was an interesting weekend for everybody and the following week was just as exciting. After Sasuke finally managed to get the courage to go back home, with Neji, Naruto, and Hinata in tow, they returned to a clean and intact Manor, the joy of Sasuke, where they found the duo talking with Inari.

"Get ready for a second wedding" Li said as they had entered the room, looking at Kurai who was napping on the couch next to Itachi in one of his shirts. Itachi and the rest greeted them before he said thank you to Hinata for saving Kurai in which she said no problem, happy to see her dark side happy. They all started laughing when Kurai started purring in her sleep, tails twitching, before she woke up at the sound of their laughter. After that she and Hinata started talking about the new wedding that was going to take place in a month thanks to Inari's help.

"A night wedding will be unique" Hinata said to Kurai who was explaining some of her plans for the upcoming wedding. "I think we should go and let the other kunoichi know about it" Hinata suggested before she was grabbed by Kurai who yelled, 'off to Anko' as she dragged Hinata out of the Compound with the boys watching them leave.

"I'm almost scared to see what Kurai wears down the aisle" Sasuke muttered which had Yohaze laughing as she told them about Kurai suggesting Hinata go in a bikini which had Naruto and Itachi shaking their heads, saying they wouldn't be surprised.

"Yohaze-"

"I'm on it" the vixen chuckled as she disappeared to Hinata and Kurai's location while the boys wrapped up the decision. They all left for the Hokage's office where Tsunade and Minato, who was second in charge Hokage, was helping Tsunade with the paperwork at the enjoyment of the blonde. There they met Kushina, Jiraiya, and Tsunade who was catching up and telling them of the good news.

"Now if we can only find Sasuke a girlfriend then we will have the Uchiha clan rebuilt in no time" a voice said from behind them and they saw Obito, Kakashi, Rin, and Kakashi's father enter. This soon led to Sasuke arguing about him being older and needing to do the same while Itachi remained quiet.

"Me, you the one who is supposed to follow in his brother's footsteps. You better get started since your brother is already closer to reviving the clan."

"Yea I can guess, that's why I stayed at the Hyuuga the weekend."

"Why the hell didn't you warn me? I had the misfortune of walking in on them and learnt things I didn't want to know. I'm still trying to get that last image out of my head."

"Serves you right and you live at the compound too, how in the world did you not hear about what we were setting up for niisan?"

As the duo continued to argue, the adults was grinning while Naruto was coughing and blushing when Itachi finally spoke and asked them to stop discussing his sex life which effectively shut them both up.

"He's right, no one discusses our sex life but him and me...however if you really want to know my fee is 500 yen per day and if you want video then-"

"KURAI!" Itachi stated, turning to the look at the grinning feline whose arms was filled with bags along with Hinata and Kurenai.

"Ita-kun I was just joking...seriously...oh come on don't look at me like that" Kurai said laughing as Itachi gave her a disbelieving look before he asked about the bags. "Well since I'm staying around a lot longer, we went and picked up some more clothes for me and some sexier ones for Hinata" she said before grinned as Hinata blushed and said to stop saying that.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into buying that outfit, it was way too revealing"

"Showing off your stomach is too revealing? ... 'Crimson' sensei, go tell 'Serpentine' to shred the receipt for the rest of the clothes we bought for Hinata behind her back."

Kurenai (aka Crimson) shook her head, smiling, before she disappeared in a poof of smoke while Hinata was questioning Kurai about what Anko (aka Serpentine) bought behind her back. And that's what mostly happened as the rest of the week was uneventful except for Kurai moving in with Itachi at the Uchiha compound, Sasuke and Itachi allowing Naruto and Hinata to have the compound as the location for the silver fox clan meetings, and Neji and his father having their curse seals removed on Kurai's order. It was now the end of the second week and the silver fox clan and Leaf 13 was bidding the Suna nin, the three foxes, and Deidara farewell as they headed back to Suna while JT, Maru, and Hyou was leaving as well.

"We're going to live in this dimension now" JT said happily while Maru snort, a small smile on his lips as Hyou summoned a small chimera to ride on.

"Where are you guys to live?" Kiba had asked, wanting to ask Maru more questions about the wolf clan from his dimension.

We're living at the old Akatsuki base near the hidden valley village in river country."

"Why there?"

"It's easier seeing as its right in between Suna, Ame, and Konoha so come faster to your aid. Besides we're already comfortable there seeing as that's where we was living while in this dimension. Feel free to visit" JT stated happily as she, Maru, and Hyou jumped up on the chimera before it flew off as the Suna nin did the same on the back of the three kitsune.

"Will do" they cried back as they waved away to the two groups heading in the same direction before they was soon out of sight.

"What an adventure this had been, but why can't I shake the feeling that it isn't over" Naruto muttered as the rest of the silver fox clan nodded in agreement before they went on about their daily lives.

_*heading to river country*_

"I have to admit, you two did an excellent job on your own, I think I will count this as your first mission in this realm and your reward is you're allowed to stay here…just don't try and get into any trouble okay."

"Yay, I told you she would let us stay if we did a good job" JT, glowing with happiness, yelled at Maru who just scuffed in reply, looking out at the surroundings around him.

'_He must be upset still about having to change back into a cat'_ Hyou thought, hiding a smile as she mentioned that she had gifts for them.

"I like gifts-"

"I wish you had the 'gift' to shut up."

JT turned and glared at the frowning former lupine as she thought about way to get at him before one came to mind.

"Claws in JT" Hyou stated softly as she knew exactly what her younger counter-part was thinking while JT huffed, retracted her clothes, and hissed at Maru before turning back to Hyou. The older chimera just sighed as she handed out the gifts, giving JT hers first as to distract her from another fight. Opening up her gift, JT meowed loudly in happiness that caught Maru's attention as he turned to see JT's eyes glowing.

"A new bell collar and its human-size too" she said joyfully before she attached it around her neck, smiling at Hyou.

"It also changes with your forms so now you don't have to worry about when you're in your cat, chimera, or human form."

JT hugged Hyou before she changed into her cat form and moved side to side, listening to the sound of her new bell collar with happiness.

'_Must not push her off, must not push her off'_ Maru thought as he watched, eye twitching, JT's "dance" before Hyou cleared her throat and told Maru to open his gift. Sighing, he took the package from Hyou and opened it to show three scrolls in which he looked up in confusion as Hyou smiled, eyes gleaming.

"Read the middle scroll first" Hyou urged as JT stopped dancing to see what was about to happen. Looking back down, he picked up the middle scroll and opened it to show some kind of riddle or chant.

"As great as a noble, pack, I give your lupine powers back" he read confused until he felt his body grow warm and he doubled over in pain. JT watched wide-eyed as Maru changed into his feline form before it started to grow and lengthen into that of a lupine. When the transformation was over, Maru looked up in shock as he took in his appearance before he changed back into his human form.

"How?"

"Well I might have pulled some more strings to get you the ability to stay in your wolf form while in this world seeing as DB's wife complained about me being punished for my deeds. Also I managed to save some things from the destruction that I think you will find interesting."

Looking back down, his eyes grew wide as he saw the triangle engraved on the closing of the scroll and picked one up. He opened it which only confirmed what he thought as he looked up back at Hyou with unshed tears.

"My wolf partners" he cried softly before he jumped up and howled into the sky, happiness heard loud and clear in the sound while JT covered her ears and hissed in agitation. Hyou smiled at their happiness before her senses told her to look down and she did to see three sillouthees that suddenly disappeared in poofs of smoke.

'_That was strange'_ Hyou thought before she mentally shrugged as she turned back to the duo who now in their own little worlds.

"I take it you like the gifts" Hyou smiled as she was responded with a meow and wolf. "I'm glad everybody's happy, oh look we're here" she said as she turned to see the large mountain come into view. She landed the chimera a quarter of a mile away, thanking it before it went back to its world. They chose to walk the rest of the way, enjoying the smells of a new home around them until JT spoke what was on her mind.

"It's sad that the Kurama is gone…why did the tailed beast have to die so easily anyway?" JT asked softly as she walked more slowly, all of them sensing the sadness in her voice.

"They were not true tailed beast, well not all of them. They were created and sealed to prevent the true biju from forming."

At this Hyou smiled and turned to the duo that had slowed down in surprise.

"Thank you for sealing them for me."

Hyou was only met with silence as the duo exchanged a look before looking up at the older chimera.

"Uh, we didn't seal them" they said at the same time which made Hyou pause as that nagging feeling came back.

"I was busy fighting Madara so you had to" Hyou said as she looked at JT and Maru who was shaking their heads no.

"Maru was keeping the clan safe by moving them out of danger."

"JT was mostly used as a decoy and we used the last of our strength and chakra to defeat the monster."

JT and Maru grew uneasy at how quiet Hyou went before JT answered the question that was on both of their minds.

"What happens if they're not sealed?"

"…9 new more powerful biju are reborn and will become the new monsters of the ninja world. They was sealed because they're power was too great. If any of the nations managed to get their hands on even one of them then we can spell disaster."

JT and Maru groaned before they asked how long that would take and groaned even later when Hyou told them it took two weeks to form their bodies and regain their abilities. Grumbling about if it couldn't get any worse Hyou said it could and explained how news involving 9 new more power biju roaming around the nations could get worse.

"They can't be sealed either."

"WHAT!"

Yep, the news just got worse.

"What do you mean they can't be sealed?" Maru cried out, eyes wide in shock while JT was whimpering about losing her bell again while Hyou sighed.

"I mean that they can only be controlled, not sealed and of the former biju, there was only one true biju and therefore had the he had the tools to control the rest."

"Which one?" JT asked as Hyou mumbled out that she didn't know and that was why they had to seal them to find out which of the biju was the original.

"In recent studies we managed to narrow it down to Shukaku, Nibi, or Kurama who are the only ones who fit in the original legend of the tailed beast. So the tools were either left with Gaara or Naruto seeing as they were the only ones alive at the time but to be on the safe side I'm going to go check in cloud."

All three sighed before a smile appeared on JT's face as she whopped in the air.

"Alright, this just means our life here won't be boring. Let's get ready to set out on another adventure."

Maru sighed but smiled as he said sure, making Hyou smile secretly as she said good luck and left to visit the lightning country while Maru and JT walked back to their new home. Once inside they restocked up on supplies before stepping back out, breathing in the air on the start of their new life and a new adventure.

"Time for a biju round-up, woohoo" JT stated before she turned toward Maru and asked where they were going now seeing as they had two options.

"So we do tell Suna or Konoha about the new biju."

"Hmm, maybe Suna seeing as Gaara had a bad experience with Shukaku it would be best to warn him ahead of time" Maru suggested and within a blink of a chimera's eye they had warped to Suna.

_*outside Gaara's office*_

JT and Maru had just appeared outside Gaara's door and looked around, pleased to see no one around. With a nod to each other they was about to knock when they heard Matsuri's voice from behind the door.

"So the rest of the silver fox clan is coming are they? Cool, I really can't wait to meet them fully." (A/N: Matsuri wasn't at the wedding)

"What's the matter Gaara-san, you seemed to be agitated lately. You want some of my homemade cacti herbal tea to calm you down?" a unknown voice asked and they heard Gaara mutter a yes in reply. "Alright, what's wrong and don't say nothing because you know I can tell when you're being untruthful" the female voice said before the heard a sigh and then silence before Gaara answered.

"There have been rumors that Shukaku has been seen on the outskirts of the wind country but his movements keep us from checking to make sure. If he is back…I just can't take any more bad news or I might just kill the next person who approaches me with bad news."

Outside the room, Maru and JT face had went blue before they disappeared with a poof that made everybody look up at the door.

"You shouldn't say things like that Gaara-san or somebody might take you serious, especially under these circumstances" the female voice said as she opened the door to show them an empty hallway. "Or they might have already. Oh dear, anyway I'll go and fix you some tea and snacks Gaara-san. Does anybody else want anything?" the female asked as she stepped out into the hall.

"No and thank you Kei" Gaara said as Temari and Matsuri patted him on the back as the kunoichi nodded and left for the kitchen, wondering who the two strangers were outside the room listening were.

_*back in river country*_

"…meow" JT said nervously as she looked up at Maru who also had a scared look on his face. They looked at each for a second before saying at the same time "we'll let Naruto tell him" and was off again only in the opposite direction to Konoha where things were taking place.

_*Konoha gates*_

Izumo and Kotetsu were sitting at their post, bored, when they saw 3 strangers wrapped up in cloaks coming toward Konoha. Jumping quickly, they asked them their business as they stopped before entering the gates. They tensed when the tallest one, a hat on his head and shades covering his eyes chuckled as he turned toward them.

"We just came to speak with Naruto" the stranger said as he turned his head when a voice cried out.

"Who needs to speak with me?" Naruto said as he Hinata, Shin, Sai, and Sasuke approached them, bags swung over their shoulders, animal parts hidden under a henge.

"Now where are all of you off to so quickly, although I'm not surprised seeing as you always had the energy to get going, even after a war" the stranger said with a grin. Naruto scrawled, sensing something strange coming from the person in front of him.

"I bet it's a mission to Suna to see your redheaded friend the Kazekage. It seems he's a bit on the stressed side after the rumors of Shukaku returning although the correct way to say that would be for an Ichibi to be returning" another cloaked figure, male by the voice, said as he turned to look at the other figure who stayed silent.

Who are you and what do you need?" Naruto asked, him and Hinata stepping forward as Shin, Sai, and Sasuke took up positions behind them, ready to defend or attack if needed.

"I've come to repay my debt" the figure said that sent a shiver down Naruto's spine as he growled before he and the rest switched to their hanyo forms, the trio not even twitching at the sight of their animal parts.

"I repeat who are you?" Naruto asked, drawing their attention as they watched as Kotetsu and Izumo slowly make their way out of the post and toward the Hokage's office.

"You know who I am…Kit" the voice said which made Naruto drop his stance and look up wide-eyed at his reflection in the dark shades.

"It can't be" Naruto gasped as the others dropped their stance, looking confused while Kotetsu and Izumo slowed down, wondering if they still needed to go get help.

"But it is" the stranger said as he removed his hat to show long blood-red hair and his shades to show red slit pupils. "Hey Kit, you miss me" Kurama said as he stared down at his former vessel and new friend, ready to embark on a new adventure unknown to them.


End file.
